Bandits have attacked a branch of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in Àaaaz-Kiri community, Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
At least one person was killed, while an unspecified number of worshippers were abducted during the attack.
Reports from the area indicated that the suspected gunmen fired sporadically on entering the community in the early hours of the morning, apparently to scare residents away.
Amid the confusion, the attackers reportedly advanced toward the church where a service was ongoing and opened fire.
“It’s not clear how many were killed yet. The parishioners were holding Sunday service , when the assailants struck.”
“So far , one person has been confirmed dead; many families are reporting of missing relatives, or close ones as many of them were abducted by the invading gunmen”, a resident who requested anonymity said.
In a separate but coordinated operation, the assailants were also reported to have attacked Illai and Okeagi communities in Mopamuro Local Government Area around 4 a.m., killing three persons.
Residents said the gunmen struck two locations almost at the same time and operated for over an hour before distress calls could reach security agencies.
According to locals, the attackers first stormed Jamroro settlement, located between Okeagi and Takete Isao, where two persons were killed.
Another group reportedly invaded a settlement near Ilai Grammar School, killing one person and abducting three others.
Jamroro is largely inhabited by Tiv farmers, while the settlement near Ilai is populated by Bassa farmers who relocated to the area for agricultural activities.
Reacting to the incidents, Senator Sunday Karimi condemned the attacks and called for urgent intervention by relevant authorities.
In a statement, the senator expressed concern over reports of killings and the abduction of worshippers at the ECWA Church in Àaaaz-Kiri community in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area in the early hours of Sunday, December 14, 2025.
“Today similar incidents have occurred in Oke-Agi and Ilai communities in Mopamuro Local Government Area of Kogi State, where people were kidnapped and killed in one of the Tiv communities in the area”.
He added that many residents fled their homes after the bandits returned for another coordinated attack on Sunday.
Describing the security situation as alarming, Karimi called for a collective effort to eliminate the bandits from the area.
“The worsening security situation in the entire district calls for urgent intervention, from both federal and state governments, as well as all stakeholders, to tackle the issue head-on, and rescue the people from the bandits’ attack”, he said.
The senator also recalled that worshippers abducted from a Cherubim and Seraphim church in Yagba East Local Government Area two weeks ago are yet to be released, noting that communities across the district are now living in fear of recurring attacks and kidnappings.
Similarly, the Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Kingsley Fanwo, sympathised with the people of Illai and Okeagi.
“Our thoughts are with the people of Illai and Okeagi at this trying moment,” Fanwo said.
“I am aware that efforts are ongoing to restore security to the area. I have also spoken with the Council Chairman of Mopamuro and other people concerned. We will triumph by the grace of God”.
As of the time of filing this report, the state government had yet to issue an official statement on the incidents.
The spokesperson of the Kogi State Police Command, CSP William Aya, was contacted but had not responded.