Police in northern Nigeria say reports that worshippers were abducted on Sunday from churches in Kaduna state were false.
In a joint statement with local government officials on Monday, Kaduna state police commissioner Alhaji Muhammad Rabiu described the information as mere falsehood which is being peddled by conflict entrepreneurs who want to cause chaos.
Earlier, a local official in Kurmin Wali had told the BBC that gunmen had kidnapped dozens of people attending different churches.
There has been a series of mass kidnappings in Nigeria, where both Christians and Muslims have been targeted. Gangs frequently carry out such attacks to get ransom payments.
But referring to Sunday's alleged abductions, Kaduna's police commissioner challenged anyone to list the names of the kidnapped victims and other particulars.
The chairman of Kajuru local government area, Dauda Madaki, said security forces were sent to Kurmin Wali after reports of an attack but found no evidence of the attack. I asked the village head, Mai Dan Zaria, and he said that there was no such attack.
Police also quoted the state's commissioner for internal security and home affairs as saying that religious leaders visited the area and found out that what was pushed out to the public was completely false.
However, a community leader in Kurmin Wali, Ishaku Dan'azumi Sarkin, had earlier told the BBC that armed men attacked the area on Sunday and kidnapped 177 people from three churches.
He said 11 people escaped, several others were injured, and no deaths were reported.
In November, more than 300 students and teachers were seized from a Catholic school, further highlighting the ongoing crisis. Nigeria faces numerous challenges including kidnappings for ransom, an Islamist insurgency, and ethnic conflicts.
Experts note that corruption and underfunded police forces hinder efforts to combat these issues. Recently, the US has also become involved, conducting airstrikes against militant groups in the region.
