Rampaging bandits launched a deadly attack on Eruku community in the Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State on Tuesday, killing three people and abducting at least ten worshippers during an evening church service.
According to the spokesperson for the community, Olasukanmi Ayeni, the attackers stormed Christ Apostolic Church, Oke-Isegun, located on Okeado Street around 6 p.m., opening fire on worshippers in the middle of service.
Ayeni identified the deceased as Tunde Asabe, Segun Alaja—widely known in the community—and a man called Deremi. He added that a young girl who sustained a severe gunshot wound to the neck remains in critical condition at the hospital.
He revealed that no fewer than ten people were whisked away by the armed men, though the actual number of abductees may be higher. As of Tuesday night, the bodies of the three victims were still inside the church.
Ayeni said the latest attack followed nearly four weeks of repeated attempts by the bandits to infiltrate the community through the Eruku/Egbe and Eruku/Omu-Aran routes. Those earlier attempts were repelled by local hunters and vigilantes, but on Tuesday, the attackers succeeded after allegedly reinforcing.
He expressed frustration that multiple distress calls to both state and local government authorities during the previous weeks went unanswered. He also noted that the Ekiti Local Government chairman, Wale Awelewa, had yet to visit the community for a condolence or assessment as of Wednesday morning.
Despite the criticisms, Ayeni praised the local police for consistently supporting hunters and vigilantes in tracking and confronting the attackers in the surrounding forests.
Meanwhile, the Kwara State Police Command confirmed the incident in a statement released by its spokesperson, Ejire Adetoun Adeyemi.
According to the police, officers from Eruku Division, working with vigilantes, responded swiftly to gunshots heard from the outskirts of the town, forcing the bandits to flee into the bush. During their search, the body of a male victim, Mr. Aderemi, was found inside the church. Another victim, Mr. Tunde Asaba Ajayi, was discovered dead in the nearby bushes. A vigilante, Segun Alaja, sustained gunshot wounds and was rushed to ECWA Hospital for treatment.
The Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, commended the timely response of security operatives and assured residents that efforts are ongoing to track down the perpetrators and restore safety in the area.
