Gunmen suspected to be bandits have killed three worshippers and abducted 15 others during a night vigil attack in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, worsening fears over rising insecurity in rural communities across the state.
The attack occurred late Saturday at Ori-Oke Ajaiye, a prayer ground located around the Ikerin/Ajuba axis on the outskirts of Ikiran village, where members of a local church had gathered for overnight worship.
Residents said the gunmen stormed the area in large numbers and opened fire sporadically, forcing worshippers and nearby villagers to flee into surrounding bushes and forest routes.
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A resident, who spoke anonymously for security reasons, said many families spent the night searching for missing relatives after the attackers escaped.
“People were running in different directions because of the gunshots. Some families could not even find their relatives until this morning,” the resident said.
The Kwara State Police Command confirmed the incident on Sunday through its spokesperson, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi.
According to the police, the incident was reported by Pastor Adebayo Abiodun of Ijo Ajaiye Ati Igbala, Ekerin village, who was leading the vigil when the gunmen invaded the prayer ground around 8:30 p.m.
Police said the attackers killed three worshippers on the spot before abducting 15 others to an unknown destination.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Adekimi Ojo, described the attack as “barbaric, callous and unacceptable,” assuring residents that security agencies had launched a coordinated rescue operation.
“Upon receipt of the distress report, the Divisional Police Officer, Ekiti Division, immediately mobilised operatives to the scene,” the police statement said.
The commissioner added that tactical units, including the Police Mobile Force, intelligence teams and the police drone unit, had been deployed to comb forests and surrounding communities in search of the abducted victims.
“The command is fully committed to ensuring the rescue of all abductees and apprehension of the perpetrators behind the heinous act,” he stated.
Security operatives have since intensified surveillance and bush-combing operations across parts of Kwara South, an area that has witnessed repeated attacks on worship centres and rural settlements over the past year.
The latest assault has revived concerns about the growing activities of armed gangs operating around forest corridors linking parts of Kwara, Kogi and Niger states.
In November 2025, gunmen attacked the Christ Apostolic Church, Oke Isegun, in Eruku, also within Ekiti LGA, killing three worshippers and abducting dozens of congregants before security operatives later rescued the victims.
Another attack occurred in March 2026 when suspected bandits invaded an ECWA church in Omugo community in Ifelodun Local Government Area, abducting 11 worshippers during a church gathering. While three victims were later rescued, several others reportedly remained in captivity months later.
The recurring attacks have triggered anxiety among residents, especially in remote communities where locals say security presence remains inadequate despite repeated incidents.
Community leaders and residents have continued to call for stronger security deployment, improved intelligence gathering and sustained military operations around forested routes frequently used by criminal gangs.
The police urged residents to remain calm and support ongoing rescue operations with credible information that could aid investigators and security personnel.
