SUSPECTED bandits have attacked an ECWA Church in Omugo community, Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, abducting several worshippers during a Sunday service.
According to Punch, Kwara State Commissioner for Communications, Bolanle Olukoju, confirmed the incident, commending the coordinated response of security forces, forest guards, and local vigilantes for repelling the attackers and rescuing some victims.
“We commend the immediate and coordinated response of the security forces, forest guards, and local vigilantes, which led to the rescue of three of the abducted victims and helped to repel the attackers,” she said.
Olukoju said authorities have intensified operations to track down the perpetrators and ensure the safe return of those still held.
“While commending the immediate response of the security forces and other stakeholders, we task them to ensure that the ongoing manhunt leads to the rescue of the remaining victims and the arrest of the perpetrators,” she said.
Olukoju condemned the attack on a place of worship, describing it as “cowardly and unacceptable,” while reaffirming the state’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property.
“The Kwara State Government strongly condemns the cowardly targeting of a place of worship under any guise, and we reaffirm that such acts of violence have no place in our communities,” she added.
She also urged residents to remain vigilant and collaborate with security agencies, noting that ongoing forest combing operations have begun to yield results in curbing criminal activities across affected areas.
“We call on community members to continue to work closely with security agencies, forest guards, and local vigilantes to bring an end to this menace and safeguard our communities.
“We also commend the appreciable progress made in the ongoing combing of the forests, which has significantly curtailed the activities of criminal elements across affected areas,” she said.
The attack, which occurred during a weekly service, triggered panic among congregants and residents as the assailants reportedly stormed the premises and whisked away multiple victims before security forces intervened.
According to the platform, a source within the Kwara South Joint Security Watch disclosed that at least seven people were abducted, though official figures are yet to be fully confirmed.
The incident comes amid rising tensions in Kwara South, following intelligence warnings of planned coordinated attacks targeting Ifelodun, Irepodun, and Isin local government areas.
The Coordinator of the Kwara South Joint Security Watch, Olaitan Oyin-Zubair, disclosed that security agencies, backed by military and aerial surveillance, were on high alert to prevent such attacks, urging residents to report suspicious movements.
“Yes, it is from the intelligence that we gathered that they are planning to strike, and we don’t want to take anything for granted,” the group’s Coordinator, Olaitan Oyin-Zubair, said.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.