By Mike Odeh James
The Southern and Middle Belt Leadership Forum (SMBLF) has issued a strongly-worded condemnation of the mass abduction of 177 Adara Christians from Kurmin Wali village in Kajuru Local Government Area of Southern Kaduna, demanding immediate rescue operations and sanctions against government officials who initially denied the incident occurred.
In a press statement released on Wednesday, January 22, 2026, the SMBLF described the kidnapping of worshippers as a “heinous and barbaric” crime that represents yet another tragic chapter in the unrelenting terror being visited upon indigenous populations of Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
The forum expressed outrage over what it termed the “irresponsible and shocking public denial” of the mass kidnapping by three key officials: Kaduna State Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Barr. Sule Shu’aibu (SAN); the state Commissioner of Police, CP Mohammed Rabiu; and the Chairman of Kajuru Local Government Council, Mr. Madaki Dauda.
According to the SMBLF, this denial constituted “a grave act of incompetence that undermined rescue efforts, emboldened the criminals, and gave the kidnappers valuable time to relocate their captives to remote terror enclaves.”
The forum noted that the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, has since publicly confirmed that the kidnapping did occur, eliminating any justification for continued silence or inaction by the authorities.
Amnesty Programme Criticized
The SMBLF took aim at the Kaduna State Government’s amnesty programme for armed bandits and terrorists, describing it as “deeply insensitive and strategically reckless.” The forum questioned the provision of free medical care, educational opportunities for terrorists’ children, and skills acquisition programmes to violent criminals who have neither surrendered their weapons nor renounced terrorism, while their victims remain abandoned to trauma, displacement, and poverty.
The statement highlighted that hundreds of indigenous communities in Southern Kaduna remain without meaningful security presence while public resources are expended on the welfare of those responsible for bloodshed.
Pattern of Attacks on Christian Communities
The forum drew attention to similar incidents across the Middle Belt region, including the abduction of over 300 school pupils and teachers from Papiri community in Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, and the mass kidnapping of Christians during worship at Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku town, Kwara State.
These incidents, the SMBLF argued, provide evidence of systematic attacks on Christian communities across Nigeria and lend weight to concerns about what they described as an “unfolding Christian genocide through terror and state failure.”
Key Demands
The forum issued several demands to the Federal Government and state authorities, including immediate deployment of military and intelligence resources to rescue the abducted citizens, suspension and investigation of officials who denied or downplayed the crime, and establishment of properly funded community-based vigilante formations in every Southern Kaduna community.
The SMBLF also called for the formation of a Joint Regional Security Outfit by Middle Belt state governors, similar to the South-West model, and urged the National Assembly to expedite legislation enabling the creation of state police forces.
The forum advocated for restructuring Nigeria based on the recommendations of the 2014 National Conference and called for the operationalization of security cooperation agreements with the United States and Israel to combat what it termed “transnational terror networks.”
Leadership Solidarity
The statement was signed by the SMBLF leadership, including HRM Oba Oladipo Olaitan, Leader of SMBLF and Afenifere; Dr. Bitrus Pogu, President of the Middle Belt Forum; Senator John Azuta-Mbata, President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide; and Ambassador Godknows Igali, National Chairman of PANDEF.
In their conclusion, the forum leaders assured the people of Adara land, Southern Kaduna, and the entire Middle Belt of their solidarity, while insisting that prayers for the safe return of hostages must be matched with decisive government action.
“The government must do everything necessary to ensure the immediate rescue of the abducted and to prevent the recurrence of such horrors,” the statement emphasized.
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