Bandits ‘kill three, abduct worshippers’ during church service in Kwara community
An unconfirmed number of worshippers were abducted on Tuesday evening after bandits attacked a branch of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) at Oke Isegun in the Eruku community, Ekiti LGA of Kwara State, a town bordering Kogi.
The incident, which occurred around 6 p.m., was captured during a live-streamed service.
The footage shows members of the congregation praying when sudden gunshots rang out near the church premises, prompting panic as worshippers fled for safety. Moments later, several armed men were seen entering the church.
Witnesses said more than five gunmen stormed the building, firing sporadically before ransacking the premises and carting away personal items. According to The PUNCH, the attackers killed three worshippers and abducted the pastor along with an unspecified number of congregants.
A community leader, Benjamin Ayeoribe, said Eruku has suffered repeated attacks over the past three weeks, adding that appeals to authorities for help have gone unanswered. “We have begged the local and state governments for help, but nothing concrete has come. We are living in fear every day,” he lamented.
However, the Kwara State Police Command offered a different account, confirming injuries but not the number of deaths or abductions. In a statement, police spokesperson Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi described the incident as “an attempted bandit attack” and said officers, working with local vigilantes, repelled the assailants.
Commissioner of Police Adekimi Ojo commended the swift response of the police and vigilantes, assuring the public that efforts are underway to track down the attackers. “Security agencies will not relent until these hoodlums are totally decimated,” he said.
Tuesday’s incident comes less than 48 hours after bandits raided Government Girls Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State, abducting 25 schoolgirls.
