Bandits who kidnapped about 35 worshippers from the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) in the Eruku community, Ekiti LGA of Kwara State, have reportedly demanded N100 million for each abducted person.
The attack occurred on Tuesday evening when armed men stormed the church, killing some worshippers and taking others away. A live-streamed video of the service captured the moment gunshots erupted around the church premises.
According to Punch, several family members and community leaders confirmed on Thursday that the kidnappers had contacted relatives using the victims’ phones.
Josiah Agbabiaka, secretary of the CAC assembly, said families had begun receiving calls from the abductors. He explained that the victims were divided into groups, and “the first group of 11 people has been asked to pay N100 million each,” Punch reported.
Similarly, Olusegun Olukotun, the Olori Eta of Eruku and a relative of four abducted victims, said the kidnappers were reaching out in stages. “Some people in the community have received calls from the kidnappers demanding N100 million for each person. They said the victims were grouped and they are calling each group’s relatives,” he said.
Olukotun, who was inside the church with five family members during the attack, managed to escape through a window while others were captured.
Meanwhile, the traditional ruler of Eruku, Oba Busari Olarewaju, has appealed for immediate government intervention. He acknowledged the prompt deployment of soldiers to the community after the visit of Kwara governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Wednesday but insisted that more must be done.
“Last night, soldiers entered our community minutes after the governor visited. Their presence gave us some assurance that the government is responding. But we are still appealing that efforts should be intensified to rescue our people as quickly as possible,” the monarch said.