The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the abduction of 163 worshippers during a Sunday church service in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State as a grave indictment of the security architecture of the Bola Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.

In a statement issued Monday night by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, mnipr, the opposition party expressed deep sympathy to the families of the victims, noting that the incident has plunged many households into agony and uncertainty.

According to the PDP, the kidnapping of such a large number of worshippers from their place of worship starkly illustrates what it termed the normalisation of insecurity in the country, which it blamed on what it described as a “horrifying security failure” under the present administration.

The party cited the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Kajuru Local Government Area, who was quoted in several media reports as saying that the attack was carried out by bandits who arrived in large numbers while the worshippers were in the middle of the church service. He disclosed that 172 persons were initially abducted, but nine escaped shortly after the attack.

The PDP lamented that the recurring attacks on worship centres, irrespective of religious affiliation, reflect the Federal Government’s inability to safeguard the constitutionally guaranteed right to freedom of worship.

“Nigerians must not live in fear when going to churches or mosques to worship. The entrenchment of such brazen criminality under this administration is totally unacceptable,” the party stated.

Calling for urgent action, the PDP urged the APC-led Federal Government to immediately commence comprehensive rescue operations to ensure the safe return of the abducted worshippers.

It cautioned against what it described as the dramatisation of rescue efforts, recalling previous incidents where, it alleged, media optics took precedence over the protection and dignity of victims.

The party further advised President Bola Tinubu to focus on addressing Nigeria’s worsening security challenges rather than expending public funds on international image campaigns to reshape narratives abroad.

“Insecurity cannot be solved by propaganda. The pain of families affected by these tragedies will always speak louder than any image management efforts,” the statement added.

Reiterating its long-standing advocacy for state policing, the PDP argued that a decentralised security structure could have prevented the attackers from operating with such impunity and carting away a large number of worshippers.

The party stressed that protecting lives and property remains the primary constitutional responsibility of government, insisting that every Nigerian deserves to worship in safety.

“The Tinubu administration must demonstrate that Nigerian lives matter through immediate action, not empty promises,” the PDP said, noting that the families of the 163 abducted worshippers continue to anxiously await their safe return.