Armed bandits have demanded a ransom of ₦100 million for each of the 38 worshippers abducted from the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) in Eruku, Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The heavily armed attackers stormed the church on Tuesday during a service, shooting sporadically as they forced members into the surrounding forest. Eyewitness accounts and community sources confirm that several people were injured during the raid, while some reports indicate that at least three worshippers were killed as the gunmen overpowered the congregation and seized dozens of members, including the pastor.
Following the attack, the kidnappers have reportedly began contacting families of the victims in groups, issuing the same ransom demand of ₦100 million per person.
A community leader, Chief Olusegun Olukotun, who has relatives among the abductees, confirmed that frantic families have been receiving calls from the captors and appealed to both the Kwara State Government and security agencies to act urgently. He described Eruku as a community at high risk due to its porous borders and thick forests that make it an easy target for armed groups moving between states.
The incident has heightened fear across Kwara State, which has witnessed an alarming surge in abductions targeting religious centres and rural communities.
Only weeks earlier, Reverend James Audu Issa of ECWA Church in Patigi Local Government Area was kidnapped and later killed by bandits despite ransom payments. Although his community initially raised and paid ₦5 million, the kidnappers allegedly demanded an additional ₦45 million before murdering him, a development that shocked residents and deepened concerns about the worsening security situation.