The military said they were rescued. The kidnappers said otherwise, and the families know which version to believe.

Community leaders in Ariko, Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State, pushed back Sunday against reports that 31 worshippers abducted during an Easter church service had been freed by security forces, saying the victims remain in captivity and that their families are still in direct contact with the kidnappers.

The Kuturmi Development Association, known as KUDA, issued a blunt statement describing the widely circulated rescue reports as “false, misleading and not reflective of the current situation on the ground.”

Kidnappers confirm victims arrived at camp

KUDA president Joseph David Ariko and publicity secretary Manasseh Samuel said the families of the abducted individuals have been receiving communications from the kidnappers, who confirmed the victims had safely arrived at their camp.

That detail, the group said, makes the rescue narrative impossible to sustain.

“This clearly invalidates any claim of a successful rescue operation,” the statement read.

The abduction occurred during an Easter church service in Ariko, a community that has lived with the shadow of armed group activity for years. The victims, 31 in total, were seized and taken from the church premises before security forces could intervene.

False hope, real consequences

KUDA’s statement went beyond correcting the record. The association warned that unverified claims of rescue create a specific kind of harm in communities where families are desperate for news of their loved ones.

Raising false hope, the group said, causes confusion and erodes trust in official communication at precisely the moment when affected families need accurate information most.

The association acknowledged that security agencies are working to address the abductions but made clear that acknowledgment comes with conditions. It called on authorities, including the Nigerian Army, to ensure only verified, accurate information reaches the public on matters involving human lives.

Pressure mounts for unconditional release

KUDA stopped short of accusing the military of deliberate deception but left little ambiguity about where it stands. The group said securing the unconditional release of the abducted worshippers remains its primary concern and pledged to update the public as credible information becomes available.

It also expressed solidarity with the families now caught between conflicting accounts, waiting by their phones for news that has not come.

The Easter Sunday abduction adds to a documented pattern of mass kidnappings in parts of Kaduna State, particularly in communities in and around Kachia.

Security operations in the region have increased in recent years, but armed groups continue to operate with enough reach to strike worshippers inside a church on one of the most observed Christian holidays of the year.