Bandits kill three, abduct at least 10 during church attack in Eruku Kwara

Rampaging bandits shot dead three people and abducted at least ten worshippers during Tuesday evening service at Christ Apostolic Church, Oke-Isegun in Eruku town, Ekiti local government area of Kwara state. The attack occurred around 6pm and left the community reeling.

Community spokesperson Olasukanmi Ayeni told Newsmen the assailants struck inside the church on Okeado Street while congregants were praying. He named the victims as Tunde Asabe, Segun Alaja and one Deremi, and said a girl with a serious gunshot wound to the neck remained critically ill in hospital. “The people were abducted inside the church; there are about ten, but it could be more than that. The three corpses are still inside the church as we speak,” he said.

The Kwara State Police Command confirmed the incident in a statement by spokesperson Ejire Adetoun Adeyemi. Police said officers and local vigilantes quickly responded to gunfire and forced the attackers to flee into the bush. A search of the area recovered one male victim, Mr Aderemi, shot dead inside the church and another victim, Mr Tunde Asaba Ajayi, found fatally shot in the bush. A vigilante, Segun Alaja, was injured and taken to ECWA Hospital Eruku for treatment.

Residents said bandits had made repeated attempts to breach Eruku through the Eruku/Egbe and Eruku/Omuaran roads over four weeks, efforts resisted by local hunters until Tuesday when attackers succeeded. Ayeni said several SOS calls to state and local government went unanswered and that Ekiti local government chairman Wale Awelewa had not visited the community by Wednesday morning.

Kwara police command said the Divisional Police Officer and his team coordinated with vigilantes to pursue the hoodlums. Commissioner of Police Adekimi Ojo praised the swift joint response and vowed security agencies would not relent until the criminals are neutralised.

Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen Waidi Shaibu has ordered intensified intelligence-led operations in the area. Kebbi State and neighbouring commands have been put on alert as search and rescue efforts continue and families wait anxiously for news of the abducted.