Kwara Church Attack: Bandits place N100m ransom on each of 38 abductees

Bandits who abducted 38 worshippers from the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Eruku, in the Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State have reportedly demanded ₦100 million ransom for each victim.

Kwara Church attack

The armed men stormed the church during a service on Tuesday and seized dozens of congregants, including families worshipping together.

Bandits contact families

Community sources said the attackers contacted relatives on Thursday, insisting on a total ransom amounting to billions of naira.

A community leader and Olori Eta of Eruku, Chief Olusegun Olukotun, said four of his relatives were among those taken. He explained that he had been in the church with five family members when the incident occurred but managed to escape with one of his wards through a window at about 6:06 p.m.

Residents of Eruku have been left in shock as negotiations begin, while security agencies are said to be working to secure the safe release of the abducted worshippers.

“From what we gathered from the kidnappers camp, they (kidnappers) have grouped the victims according to their relations and are now calling our people through each of the group.

“Some people in the community have received calls from the kidnappers demanding N100m for each person but as regard my own people I have not receive any call concerning them, so I am still waiting,” he said.

Olukotun expressed appreciation to the government , particularly the Kwara State governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, for reaching out to the community following the attack.

He urged the state to deepen its intervention by deploying more security personnel to Eruku, noting that its location as a border community makes it especially vulnerable to criminal incursions.

He also appealed for better support for local vigilante groups, calling for the provision of stronger and more sophisticated security equipment capable of matching the firepower of the kidnappers during potential confrontations.

According to him, adequately equipped community security outfits would help protect lives and property and strengthen the area’s resilience against further attacks.