…as governor visits community, consoles victims’ families, reassures Kaduna residents of justice and renewed security action
By Bomba Dauda
Governor Uba Sani’s visit to Kurmin Wali in the aftermath of the mass abduction was both timely and necessary. It sent an unmistakable message that the Kaduna State Government recognises the gravity of the tragedy and stands firmly with the victims, their families, and a community thrown into anguish.
The empathy of Governor Uba Sani is not in doubt. It is a defining trait of his leadership and a consistent expression of his people-centred approach to governance. Only recently, he visited the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna to sympathise with Mrs. Sarah Achi and her daughter, who had just been released from captivity, and to personally convey his condolences over the tragic death of her husband, the late Venerable Edwin Achi.
Beyond words, the Governor’s actions underscored a leadership that responds to pain with compassion and responsibility.
The abduction of worshippers in Kurmin Wali is a tragedy far too grave for equivocation, denial, or public relations gymnastics. At moments such as this, leadership is tested not by rhetoric but by empathy, honesty, and decisive action—qualities Governor Uba Sani has continued to demonstrate.
This singular act by Senator Uba Sani represents a radical departure from the despotic and inhumane posture of the Nasir el-Rufai administration, which neither visited the attacked communities, condemned the repeated attacks on Southern Kaduna communities nor showed sympathy to the victims or made genuine efforts to rebuild their confidence. Instead, that regime was often quick to rationalise the violence, dismissing the killings and abductions as so-called “reprisal attacks” against innocent civilians of Southern Kaduna origin.
Unfortunately, the initial response from the Kaduna State Police Command, CP Muhammad Rabiu. The early claim by the Commissioner of Police that the reported abductions were false was not only premature but deeply troubling. It reflected a dangerous instinct to dismiss citizens’ anguish rather than confront a horrific reality. It is difficult to comprehend how anyone could imagine that the abduction of 176 persons: men, women, and youths taken from a place of worship, could be concealed or fabricated.
This is not a statistic that can be brushed aside. One hundred and seventy-six abducted persons translate into hundreds of immediate family members and thousands of relatives and community members plunged into fear, grief, and desperation. Such a crime inevitably produces an outcry that no dismissive press briefing can suppress.
Denial, in circumstances like this, only deepens trauma and erodes public trust at a time when confidence in state institutions is most needed. What the people of Kurmin Wali, and indeed Kaduna State , require is sincerity, coordination, and a unified front against criminality.
Governor Uba Sani’s response shows what leadership should look like in moments of collective pain: present, empathetic, and action-oriented. As security agencies recalibrate their approach, they must take a cue from this example, remembering always that behind every report are real human lives. When leadership truly matters, it must side with truth, compassion, and the people , and in Kurmin Wali, Governor Uba Sani has done just that.
