Chaos erupted in Eda Oniyo Ekiti, in the Ilejemeje Local Government Area of Ekiti State on Tuesday evening after armed gunmen stormed an open-air church crusade, killing a pastor and abducting multiple worshippers.
The attackers, described by witnesses as heavily armed and large in number, descended on the crusade grounds located at the outskirts of the community, opened fire, and fled into the surrounding forest with their captives before security forces could respond.
Community sources confirmed the harrowing scene. “Some gunmen invaded a church around the outskirts of Eda Oniyo during a church programme. They abducted several worshippers, including elderly persons and children. They shot the pastor and took the worshippers into the forest. The attackers came in large numbers and were heavily armed,” one source said.
The exact number of abducted persons had not been officially confirmed at the time of this report, but residents say the victims include elderly members of the congregation and children. The incident has thrown the tight-knit community into widespread fear and panic.
A senior government official and member of the state’s security committee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the attack and said security operatives had already been deployed to the area.
“Yes, some worshippers were kidnapped in Eda Oniyo today, but security agencies are involved. The government has deployed security operatives to the area and they are already on the trail of the attackers,” the official said, expressing optimism that the victims would be found unharmed.
Attempts to obtain an official response from the Ekiti State Police Command were unsuccessful, as calls and messages directed to the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Sunday Abutu, went unanswered as of press time.
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