Despite fear and grief, the Christ Apostolic Church,Oke Isegun, Eruku, Kwara State held a special Sunday service inside its blood-splattered auditorium, praying for the safe return of kidnapped members and the repose of those killed during Tuesday’s brutal bandit attack.
The church on Sunday officially confirmed that 38 worshippers were abducted, contrary to earlier claims circulating on social media.
Speaking with The PUNCH, the church secretary, Michael Agbabiaka, said the church initially compiled 35 names of abducted members, but further verification revealed that three non-members were also taken, bringing the total number of hostages to 38.
“The rumour that over 60 people were kidnapped is not true,” he said. “I have a list with their phone numbers. We don’t want any misinformation. We have 38 people inside the bush. Three died, and one victim is in the hospital receiving treatment.”
Agbabiaka further disclosed that the kidnappers who initially demanded N100m per victim later reduced the ransom to N20m each after negotiations before cutting off communication on Friday.
He noted that although shock and fear still gripped the town, the church encouraged members to attend the Sunday service to strengthen their faith.
“We thank God for life today. You can see that only a few people came because it has not been easy. But God gave us courage.
“We also thank the government for deploying security. They are patrolling the town, and even here in the church, security operatives are present,” he added.
Earlier during the service, the presiding pastor, Bamidele Lawrence, described the attack as a test of faith for the congregation.
Quoting 2 Peter 3:10, he urged worshippers not to lose hope, saying he received divine assurances concerning the abducted victims.
“The first promise God gave me is that all our kidnapped members will gain freedom very soon. They will not die in captivity,” he said.
“God says He will assist us. Our children, mothers and wives will come out strong. It will be a miracle to the world when our people regain their freedom.”
He also told the congregation that the worsening insecurity in Nigeria would attract divine intervention and urged them not to fear, saying current events were part of biblical prophecies about the end times.
One of the affected worshippers, James Ige, whose wife and son were among those abducted, pleaded with the authorities to intensify rescue efforts.
“I beg the government and security agencies to do everything within their capacity to bring my family back safely,” he said.
The PUNCH observed a heavy presence of security operatives across Eruku on Sunday, including soldiers, the Special Tactical Squad from Force Headquarters, SWAT, the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Kwara State Police Command and local vigilante groups.
The deployment followed the directive of President Bola Tinubu, who ordered a joint operation to track down the attackers and rescue the victims.
Kwara State has witnessed a spike in bandit incursions, especially across border communities in Ekiti and Kaima LGAs.
The Eruku church attack adds to a growing list of kidnappings targeting residents, travellers and now worshippers, heightening fears about expanding criminal networks operating across Kwara, Kogi and Niger States.
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