The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Northern Nigeria, Reverend Joseph John Hayab, has accused bandits of deliberately attacking Christian communities to provoke anger, instability and confusion across the country.
Hayab made the allegation while reacting to the kidnapping of 177 worshippers in Kurmin Wali, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, an incident that initially generated widespread controversy following denials by government officials and security agencies.
Speaking on the incident, Hayab described the initial denial by authorities as “surprising and dramatic,” noting that he had received multiple confirmations from credible sources shortly after the attack occurred.
“I got information from several people in the community, including a CAN representative we have worked with for over 10 years. At no point did anyone say the incident did not happen. So, the sudden denial by officials was shocking,” he said.
He revealed that he deliberately waited for 24 hours before speaking publicly, during which he personally contacted members of the affected community and monitored developments to confirm the facts.
According to him, the confusion was worsened when the local government chairman, who had visited the community to assess the situation, later dismissed reports of the abduction.
“It was like watching a drama. An incident happened in the morning, and by the time officials went to town, the narrative suddenly changed,” Hayab said.
The Northern CAN chairman also criticised sections of the media for allegedly amplifying the false narrative, expressing disappointment that a national newspaper published a headline claiming CAN lied about the incident.
“Now that it is clear CAN did not lie, no apology has been issued. This is deeply troubling and shows how low we have sunk as a nation,” he said.
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Hayab, however, welcomed the decision of the Nigeria Police Force to later acknowledge the incident, commending the Inspector-General of Police for elevating the matter to the national level.
“The police have accepted the truth and promised to act. We must give them the benefit of the doubt. The Kaduna State Police Command has also admitted their error and assured us they are working to correct it,” he stated.
On whether the attack supports claims of an existential threat against Christians in Nigeria, Hayab cautioned against politicising the incident but insisted that persecution of Christians in Northern Nigeria has persisted for years.
“Christians here know what we go through. These attackers deliberately target Christian communities to provoke reactions and chaos because they know it will attract attention,” he said.
He stressed that insecurity in Nigeria has continued largely because of the failure to take decisive action against perpetrators, regardless of religion or ethnicity.
“Whoever inflicts pain on citizens must be made to understand that there is a government in place,” Hayab added.
Providing an update on the abducted worshippers, Hayab disclosed that the bandits had made contact, indicating interest in negotiation, while security agencies were working towards securing the victims’ release.
“All efforts are focused on ensuring the security agencies do their job, while we also play our part,” he said.
