The Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) has disclosed that no fewer than 160 of its members are currently being held captive by kidnappers in Kaduna and Kogi States, with distraught families struggling to meet heavy ransom demands.
In a statement issued by the ECWA President, Rev. Job Bagat, the Church expressed deep concern over the worsening security crisis in Nigeria, particularly following the recent abduction of worshippers in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
According to Rev. Bagat, the victims include about 100 members from the Kwassam District Church Council, 30 from the Saminaka District Church Council in Kaduna, and 30 others from the Kabba District Church Council in Kogi, all of whom were kidnapped before the latest Kajuru incident.
ECWA described the situation as heart-wrenching, lamenting that the wave of attacks on churches and Christian communities reflects the deepening insecurity across the country.
“ECWA pastors, church workers, and members in several states have suffered killings, abductions, displacement and loss of livelihoods, leaving communities traumatised and abandoned,” the statement read.
The Church strongly condemned the January 18, 2026, abduction of worshippers in Kurmin Wali community, Kajuru, describing the armed invasion of a church service as “sacrilegious and barbaric.”
Rev. Bagat said the Kajuru attack was part of a broader pattern of escalating violence targeting ECWA congregations across Kaduna, Kogi, Katsina, Kwara, Plateau, and Niger States, warning that delayed security responses only embolden criminal groups.
While acknowledging renewed efforts by the Federal Government and the deployment of security forces to Kajuru, ECWA criticised the slow reaction times, noting that swift intervention could prevent many of these tragedies.
The Church called on federal, state, and local authorities to strengthen intelligence networks, improve early-warning systems, and ensure timely, proactive, and intelligence-driven security operations, especially in rural and vulnerable areas.
ECWA also urged traditional rulers, community leaders, and citizens to foster unity, vigilance, and peaceful coexistence, reaffirming its commitment to prayer, peacebuilding, advocacy, and support for victims of insecurity across the country.
