The Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), Kasuwan Magani Church District Council, Kajuru Laocal Government Area of Kaduna state, has disclosed that 807 of its members were abducted by bandits from January to November 2022.
Chairman of the Church District Council, Rev. Timothy Maigida, disclosed this at a news conference on Thursday in Kaduna.
Maigida also said, the most recent attack took place on Wednesday, when the bandits invaded a community and abducted five people, including Rev. Isa Kabiru.
He said many members of the church have been killed while houses and church buildings were destroyed by the bandits.
He lamented that since 2016, ECWA Churches in communities in Kajuru and Chukun LGA had been under constant attack by bandits adding that millions of naira was paid to the bandits as ransom.
Maigida appealed to well meaning Nigerians come to the aide of the church to ensure enable it rebuild the churches and homes.
He announced that December 10, 2022, had been scheduled for a “Sober Reflection Service”, to pray to God to intervene in the evil that had befallen rural communities in Kaduna state.
“This briefing is to reveal to you the devastation that, we as a church and a people have been experiencing from armed bandits, which further forms the reason for a Sober Reflection Service coming up on 10th December 2022 at the ECWA Hills Kasuwan Magani”, he said.
According to him, the ECWA Kasuwan Magani DCC was established in 2004, but the growth of the church has been hampered by deadly activities of bandits.
Maigida said, “Since 2018, we have been going through a lot of agonies, including not being able to sleep with our two eyes closed”.
According to him, “In 2016 when the terrorism and kidnapping for ransom started, 38 people were abducted in all.
“Eight of the victims were killed, and the remaining were released after the payment of ransom.
In 2017, the number of people killed was 35. In 2018, a crisis erupted in Kasuwan Magani market on 18/10/2018. That single incident claimed the lives of 286 identified locals that went to the market that day.
“That was apart from those from outside the Local Government that were not identified.
“The following day, 19/10/2018, the late Agom Adara, HRH (Dr.) Maiwada Raphael Galadima was ambushed, abducted, and later murdered!
“In 2019, we lost 196 members to armed bandits in an attack on churches in six communities.
“We have suffered and still suffering both the kidnapping and killing of our people.
From January to November,
807 people were abducted by bandits.
“It is in view of all these devastations that we as a church and people have endured, that we have decided to hold a sober reflection service on 10th December, 2022 Kasuwan Magani and bring in people within and outside Kaduna that would help us to rebuild our homes, churches and communities.”
