Olusegun Ariyo
Southern Kaduna Christian Leaders Association (SKCLA) has strongly condemned the recent kidnapping of 177 persons from Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Its Chairman, Apostle Dr Emmanuel Nuhu Kure, in a statement on Thursday and made available to Urban Express News, described the incident as heart-rending, alarming, and unacceptable, noting that it marks the first time in the history of the region that members of three different Christian denominations were abducted in a single day during church services.
The Association lamented that the Kajuru incident adds to the growing list of unresolved abductions across Southern Kaduna, particularly in Kauru, Kachia, and other vulnerable communities, where families continue to live in agony over the fate of their loved ones.
While calling on the Kaduna State Government, security agencies, and all relevant authorities to intensify efforts to secure the immediate and unconditional release of the Kajuru victims, the Christian leaders also urged decisive action to end the recurring cycle of kidnappings in the region.
Apostle Dr Kure explained, “As a spiritual response to the crisis, the Southern Kaduna Christian Leaders Association has declared a two-day fasting and prayer programme founded on Psalm 57:2–3, for the safe return of all abducted persons across the region.”
According to the statement, the two-day fast will commence on Friday this week and will be concluded with a special prayer session in all churches across Southern Kaduna on Sunday.
The statement explained that the call to fasting and prayer was a united cry to God for mercy, protection, and the safe return of “our brothers and sisters from captivity.”
He also explained that it is a demonstration of rare unity, as believers across denominations stand together at a critical moment in history and called on all Christians in Southern Kaduna and beyond to participate wholeheartedly in the fast.
Kure also appealed to the wider Nigerian society to stand in solidarity with affected communities, especially families of victims in Kajuru, Kauru, Kachia, and other flashpoints, saying that they will not be silent in the face of evil, “neither will we lose hope.”
He said, “We trust God for divine intervention, and we continue to demand accountability and concrete action from those entrusted with the security of lives and property.”
