Gunmen launched an attack on a church in Kogi state, abducting a pastor, his wife, and several members of the congregation during an early Sunday worship session.
The incident took place at the newly established Cherubim and Seraphim Church in Ejiba, Yagba West LGA.
The invasion threw the community into disarray as the armed men stormed the worship centre, causing residents to flee in fear.
Confirming the incident in a statement, Kingsley Fanwo, Kogi commissioner for information, described the attack as “very sad and unfortunate” and assured the public that efforts were ongoing to rescue the victims.
Fanwo noted that the attackers may have been operating from within the area, suggesting that some residents might have observed suspicious activities but failed to report them.
“Those who struck at Ejiba must have been hiding in the community for some days or in bushes around the village,” he said.
“Some villagers would have seen them and kept quiet. If you refuse to raise alarms when you see strange faces at a time like this, who knows who will be victims of their madness?
“Worshipping in the bush without security in this era, just a few weeks after worshippers were abducted from a church in Kwara State, to me is not ideal.
“We all need to be security conscious at this time. We also need to volunteer intelligence.”
Fanwo explained that both the state government and the Yagba West council had made notable progress in tackling criminal activities in border communities, but acknowledged that Ejiba had suffered recurring attacks.
He also criticised religious leaders who continued to gather worshippers in locations considered unsafe.
“It’s easy to blame the government, but those suffering in the hands of these incurable irredentists are our people. So why won’t we subscribe to wisdom?,” he said.
“When you see something, say something. Avoid going to unsecured churches and mosques now.
“Avoid absolutely unnecessary journeys at this time. Any journey along the danger zones should be avoided. Do not disclose your movement to anyone again.”
The commissioner added that security operatives and the state government had taken “drastic measures” to ensure the safe return of the abducted worshippers.
On November 18, bandits abducted several Christians after attacking a branch of Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) at Oke Isegun in Eruku, a community bordering Kogi in Ekiti LGA of Kwara state.
Last Sunday, President Bola Tinubu announced that all those abducted in the Kwara attack had been rescued.