Every night since January 18, families in Kurmin Wali, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, have gone to bed unsure whether their loved ones will ever return. Mothers, children and elderly worshippers were among 166 Christians abducted when gunmen stormed several churches during Sunday services, turning a place of prayer into a scene of terror.
Eleven of the worshippers later escaped, recounting days of fear in the forest. But many others—mostly women and children—remain in captivity, their families clinging to hope as rescue efforts continue.
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That hope was shaken this week by reports that the abductors are demanding ₦28.9 million—not as ransom for the captives, but as compensation for 17 motorcycles they claim were lost during recent military operations. According to security sources, the bandits have insisted that the money must be paid before any discussions on the release of the abductees can begin.
For relatives of those still held, the demand feels like a cruel twist of the knife, Lami Garba, one of the mothers, whose two daughters, were among the abductees, confided while, responding to enquires by BusinessDay.
Across northern Nigeria, the incident has reignited anger and fear, as citizens warn that negotiating with armed groups is no longer just failing—it is empowering criminals to dictate terms while innocent lives hang in the balance.
Chidi Odinkalu, a human rights lawyer and former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, criticised what he described as official silence and delayed response to the abductions. He argued that security agencies are aware of what happened but are constrained by political considerations, warning that when loyalty is prioritised over justice, victims are left to suffer in silence.
“What we are witnessing is not ignorance,” Odinkalu said in reaction. “It is a choice—and people are paying for it with their lives.”
The pain in Kaduna mirrors growing anxiety in neighbouring Katsina State, where residents are also questioning the cost of negotiating peace with bandits. Controversy erupted recently after allegations that a local government earmarked ₦300 million in its 2026 budget for so-called peace-building arrangements with armed groups.
The claim was made by Mustapha Inuwa, former Secretary to the Katsina State Government, who said the allocation appeared under peace-related expenditures for one local government area. Inuwa, who served under former governor Aminu Bello Masari, warned that such arrangements repeat bitter lessons from the past.
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“Bandits used negotiations to regroup, rearm and come back stronger,” he said. “Each deal bought a short silence, not peace.”
In Katsina’s rural communities, the debate is deeply personal. Farmers have abandoned their fields for fear of attack. Schools operate without basic facilities. Hospitals struggle with shortages of staff and equipment. Thousands of displaced families depend on limited humanitarian support. Against this backdrop, many residents say diverting public funds to armed groups feels like rewarding those who destroyed their lives.
“This approach tells criminals that violence pays,” a civil society activist said. “And it tells victims that their suffering comes second.”
Security analysts warn that beyond the moral questions, such policies risk weakening the resolve of security personnel who confront bandits in dangerous operations, only to see the same groups later compensated with public funds.
There are also fears that the alleged ₦300 million allocation may be just one example. If similar provisions exist across Katsina’s 34 local governments, critics say billions of naira could be flowing into criminal networks, turning banditry into a publicly financed enterprise.
The controversy comes amid a strong warning from Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, who has cautioned state governments against negotiating with bandits. He described peace deals and ransom payments as dangerous and counter-productive, stressing that armed groups cannot be trusted.
According to the minister, the Federal Government’s position is clear: no negotiated settlements, no ransom payments, and no legitimisation of criminal groups. He urged governors to focus on sustained military pressure, intelligence-driven operations and community cooperation.
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For families in Kajuru, however, policy debates offer little comfort. What they want is simple: to see their loved ones walk out of the forest alive. As long as negotiations and concessions continue, many fear that the cycle of violence will only deepen—leaving more homes empty, more prayers unanswered, and more communities trapped between hope and heartbreak.
