Bandits Holding Kaduna Easter Worshippers Demand N5 Billion Ransom, Threaten to Kill Captives

The abductors of worshippers seized during the Easter Sunday attack in Arikon community, Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State, have made a staggering N5 billion ransom demand for the release of the victims, with a threat to kill them if the amount is not paid. The development has deepened the anguish of families already traumatized by the attack that claimed several lives on April 5, 2026.

In a viral video showing the victims assembled at an undisclosed hideout, a spokesperson for the bandits spoke for two minutes and 22 seconds in Hausa, threatening to kill the captives if families failed to meet their demands . While the bandits in the video did not explicitly mention the ransom amount, a dependable source who requested anonymity told journalists via telephone that the abductors called on Wednesday using one of the victims’ phones to demand the colossal sum.

The attack occurred when armed men wielding AK-47 rifles and riding motorcycles stormed multiple churches in the Arikon community during Easter services. According to community sources, five worshippers were killed during the raid, while 37 others – including men, women, children, elderly blind individuals, and critically ill persons – were taken into the bush . The affected churches included the ECWA church, Baptist church, and St. Augustine Catholic church.

The bandits’ spokesperson in the video claimed the worshippers were abducted for allegedly conniving with the military to kill herders who had been rearing cattle around the community since last year . Community leaders have vehemently denied this allegation, describing it as a false justification for the attack.

Hours after the attack, the Nigerian Army had issued a statement claiming that its troops had engaged the attackers in a fierce gun battle and successfully rescued 31 of the abducted worshippers . However, the Arikon community, under the aegis of the Kuturmi Unity Development Association, quickly issued a counter-statement describing the military’s claim as “entirely false, misleading, and not reflective of the current situation on the ground”.

In a statement signed by the association’s President, Dr. Joseph David Ariko, and Publicity Secretary, Hon. Manasseh Samuel, the group confirmed that all abducted persons were still in captivity. “The families and representatives of the victims remain in contact with the bandits, who have confirmed the safe arrival of the victims at their camp. This clearly invalidates any claim of a successful rescue operation,” the statement read . The Village Chief of Arikon, Chief Joshua Doka, also countered the Army’s claim, stating flatly that “nobody was rescued”.

The Concerned Ariko Youths, in a separate statement signed by Chairman Linus Audu and Secretary Kefas Likita, described the incident as a “tragic assault on innocent worshippers during a solemn period of reflection” . The group revealed that those abducted include two elderly blind men, two women whose husbands were killed during the attack alongside their children, several young children, two critically ill women, and entire families. “Among those abducted are two elderly blind men, women whose husbands were killed during the attack alongside their children, several young children, two critically ill women, and entire families,” the group stated.

The youths noted that the N5 billion ransom demand has created a humanitarian crisis in the community, describing the amount as “outrageous and impossible for the rural community to meet” . They added that it is “neither reasonable nor humane to expect affected families, already devastated by loss and trauma, to raise such an amount”.

A former media aide to late Kaduna State Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, Reuben Buhari, confirmed the ransom demand on his social media page, describing the situation as painful for the affected rural community struggling to cope with poverty and repeated kidnappings.

The association called on government authorities and security agencies to act quickly to secure the release of the abducted worshippers and restore calm in the area. “The safe return of the abducted persons remains our utmost priority. We urge all stakeholders to intensify genuine and coordinated efforts toward securing their immediate and unconditional release,” the statement added.

As of the time of this report, the Kaduna State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Hassan Mansur, had not responded to calls or text messages regarding the development . The victims have now spent more than two weeks in captivity, with families and community members left in anguish and uncertainty about the fate of their loved ones.