The founder of Word Assembly Ministries, Ilorin, Rev. Isaac Omolehin, has fled the church camp in Idofian village, Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, alongside his family and more than 100 residents following repeated threats of terrorist attacks on the facility.
In a statement made available to journalists on Saturday by his spokesperson, Grace Edema, Omolehin said the threats prompted the police to order the immediate evacuation of the camp after receiving intelligence about an impending attack.
According to the cleric, police officers arrived at the facility around midnight between May 30 and 31 and directed everyone to leave for their safety.
He said the evacuation forced him, his family and more than 100 residents to leave the camp and seek safety in different locations.
Omolehin said the terrorists eventually arrived at the facility after the evacuation but found it deserted.
He said the incident had left him moving between different locations with his wife and children because he could no longer safely remain at his home.
“I have a house I can’t enter. I have a car I can’t ride. I have to hide myself from the public. If I sleep here today, I’ll sleep somewhere else tomorrow. I’m homeless with my wife and children,” the cleric said.
According to Omolehin, the abandoned facility housed a primary and secondary school, hospital, old people’s home and rehabilitation centre for women rescued from the streets, alongside their children.
He said the security threats had forced the school and hospital to shut down, while patients, nurses and other residents were forced to leave the camp.
Omolehin said more than 100 residents, including children, remain dispersed across different locations because authorities have yet to declare the area safe for their return.
He said he had contacted the police to ascertain whether the camp was safe, particularly following the resumption of schools, but had received no response.
The cleric also said reports had been submitted to the Department of State Services and the Kwara State Ministry of Social Welfare, which oversees orphanages and rehabilitation centres.
However, he claimed that no official response had been received from the authorities.
Omolehin appealed to the Federal Government and the Kwara State Government to strengthen security around the facility and facilitate the return of the displaced residents.
He further disclosed that although the terrorists did not destroy the buildings, thieves later broke into the abandoned camp and stole belongings.
He urged the authorities to secure the facility, stressing that the prolonged insecurity had disrupted education, healthcare and other services provided to vulnerable residents.
These include orphaned children referred to the centre by government authorities.