The Kwara State Police Command has confirmed the death of three worshippers and the abduction of 15 others after armed attackers invaded a prayer ground in Ekiti Local Government Area of the state.
The attack reportedly occurred on Saturday night at Ori-Oke Ajaiye, situated on the outskirts of Ikiran Village in the Ikerin/Ajuba area, causing panic among residents of nearby communities.
According to local sources, the gunmen stormed the area in large numbers, opening fire on worshippers and residents before escaping through surrounding forest routes.
A resident who spoke anonymously said many families spent the night searching for missing relatives after the attackers fled.
“People were running in different directions because of the gunshots. Some families could not even find their relatives until this morning,” the source said.
Confirming the incident in a statement released on Sunday in Ilorin, the spokesperson of the Kwara State Police Command, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, said the Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, condemned the attack, describing it as brutal and unacceptable.
“The Kwara State Police Command strongly condemns the gruesome attack, killing, and abduction of innocent worshippers by armed criminals at Ori-Oke Ajaiye, located on the outskirts of Ikiran Village in the Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State,” the statement read.
The police explained that the incident was reported by Pastor Adebayo Abiodun of Ijo Ajaye Ati Igbala, Ekerin Village, who was leading a night vigil when the gunmen invaded the prayer ground.
“While conducting a night vigil alongside members of his congregation at Ori-Oke Ijaye via Ekerin village, armed hoodlums invaded the prayer ground, firing sporadically,” the police commissioner said.
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He confirmed that three worshippers lost their lives during the attack while 15 others were kidnapped and taken to an unknown destination.
According to the police, officers attached to the Ekiti Division were immediately deployed to the area after receiving the distress call.
“Upon receipt of the distress report, the Divisional Police Officer, Ekiti Division, immediately mobilised operatives to the scene,” he stated.
The commissioner added that a coordinated rescue operation involving tactical and intelligence units had already commenced to secure the release of the abducted victims and arrest the perpetrators.
“A comprehensive tactical and intelligence-driven operation involving the Police Drone Team, PMF personnel, Intelligence Units, and other operational assets has been deployed for a coordinated rescue mission,” he noted.
Adekimi Ojo assured residents that security agencies were intensifying operations across the affected communities and nearby forests.
“Vigorous efforts are ongoing, including bush combing, intelligence gathering, and coordinated security operations to track down the assailants and bring them to justice,” the statement added.
The police command urged members of the public to remain calm and provide useful information that could assist ongoing rescue efforts.
The latest incident adds to a series of attacks on worship centres in Kwara South in recent months, raising fresh concerns about insecurity in rural communities across the state.