Joint security operatives on Sunday thwarted a suspected bandit raid on an ECWA Church in the Omugo community in the Ifelodun Local Government Area, Kwara State, rescuing three abducted victims.
The attack was apparently carried out by armed individuals during a church service, causing alarm among parishioners and community members.
According to a local source, the gunmen attacked the church and abducted people before security officers arrived to control the situation.
An unidentified source from Kwara South Joint Security Watch told the press that seven people were kidnapped during the attack.
“At least seven people were abducted,” the source stated, without providing further details.
Confirming the attack in a statement on Sunday, the State Commissioner for Communications, Bolanle Olukoju, said security operatives successfully rescued three victims while efforts were ongoing to secure the release of others.
She stated, “We commend the immediate and coordinated response of the security forces, forest guards, and local vigilantes, which led to the rescue of three of the abducted victims and helped to repel the attackers.”
Olukoju further stated that the government had directed security agencies to intensify efforts to apprehend those behind the attack and ensure the safe return of the remaining victims.
“While commending the immediate response of the security forces and other stakeholders, we task them to ensure that the ongoing manhunt leads to the rescue of the remaining victims and the arrest of the perpetrators,” she said.
The commissioner also condemned the targeting of a religious center, describing the act as both cowardly and unacceptable.
“The Kwara State Government strongly condemns the cowardly targeting of a place of worship under any guise, and we reaffirm that such acts of violence have no place in our communities,” she added.
The commissioner enjoined residents to support ongoing security efforts by staying vigilant and cooperating with the relevant authorities.
“We call on community members to continue to work closely with security agencies, forest guards, and local vigilantes to bring an end to this menace and safeguard our communities,” the statement noted.
Olukoju stressed that ongoing forest combing operations had yielded results in curbing criminal activities in the area.
“We also commend the appreciable progress made in the ongoing combing of the forests, which has significantly curtailed the activities of criminal elements across affected areas,” she said.
The state government reiterated its commitment to protecting lives and property, assuring residents of sustained collaboration with all security stakeholders.
