The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has held a special prayer session for 177 Christian worshippers abducted from churches in Kurmin Wali village, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The worshippers were taken by gunmen during church services on Sunday, January 18, 2026, and have not been released as of the time of this report. Families of the victims remain in deep distress as they await news of their loved ones.

The prayer gathering took place at Tawaliu Baptist Church, Maraban Kajuru, drawing Christian leaders from Kaduna State and across northern Nigeria. Speaking at the event, Rev. Joseph John Hayab, Chairman of CAN in Northern States, called on churches to strengthen security around worship centres. He stressed that prayer must go hand in hand with vigilance, warning that unrestricted access to church premises exposes worshippers to serious risks.

Rev. Hayab described the security situation in Kajuru as alarming, noting that repeated attacks on communities and churches had become unacceptable. He urged churches to adopt basic safety measures and monitoring systems to observe activities within and around their premises during services. According to him, faith should be supported with responsibility to prevent further attacks on innocent worshippers.

Also speaking, Rev. Enoch Kaura, Chairman of CAN in Kajuru LGA, said the prayer session was meant to seek divine intervention for the safe return of the abducted worshippers and wisdom for government and security agencies. He recalled past attacks in the area and appealed to authorities to intensify security operations to stop further violence. The event was attended by the Kaduna State CAN Chairman, Rev. Caleb Bawa Ma’aji, alongside bishops and clergy from different denominations.