The Nigeria Police Force says there was no attempt to deny or cover up the abductions in Kurmin Wali, Kaduna State.
Police spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, says the delay was due to a lack of eyewitness accounts at the early stage.
He explained that after the first report, officers were deployed immediately to the area.
But community members initially said they saw nothing, and there was no evidence at the scene.
Hundeyin says the situation changed when one of the abducted victims escaped and gave details of what happened.
According to him, once the police had clear evidence, Nigerians were promptly informed.
He stressed that the Commissioner of Police never denied the incident, but acted responsibly based on the information available at the time.
The police say tactical and intelligence units are now fully deployed in the area.
Efforts, they say, are ongoing to secure the community and rescue the remaining victims.
