Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed deep concern over the reported abduction of 163 worshippers during Sunday service in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, urging the Tinubu-led administration to take immediate action to end the rising wave of insecurity across the country.
In a statement released by the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the party extended “heartfelt sympathy to the families of the 163 worshippers kidnapped… Our thoughts and prayers are with them during this agonizing period of uncertainty.”
The party described the attack as a stark illustration of “the normalisation of insecurity which has become the new reality of Nigerians due to the horrifying security failure under the Bola Tinubu-led administration.”
According to the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Kajuru, quoted by multiple credible media outlets, “the attack was carried out by bandits who arrived in large numbers, while the worshippers were in the middle of the service. 172 people were initially abducted, but nine of them escaped immediately after the attack.”
The PDP criticized the frequent attacks on worshippers in places of worship, stating that such incidents highlight “the inability of this government to protect the constitutionally enshrined right to freedom of worship. Nigerians must not live in fear when going to churches or mosques to worship.”
The party called on the Federal Government to “immediately commence comprehensive rescue operations to bring these kidnapped citizens home safely” and warned against repeating past mistakes, referencing the Niger school kidnapping where media optics reportedly took precedence over victim safety.
The statement emphasized that “insecurity cannot be solved by propaganda,” urging President Tinubu to prioritize improving security rather than spending taxpayer money on “international image laundering campaigns to change narratives abroad.”
Highlighting the potential impact of state policing, the PDP said, “We are convinced that if state policing had been operational, these criminals may not have successfully operated with such impunity and taken this large number of people captive.”
The party concluded by reiterating the government’s primary constitutional responsibility to protect citizens, stating, “Every Nigerian deserves to worship in safety. The Tinubu administration must demonstrate that Nigerian lives matter through immediate action, not empty promises. The families of the 163 kidnap victims anxiously await their return.”