Panic and bloodshed rocked the Eruku community in Kwara State late Tuesday evening, when heavily armed gunmen attacked the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Oke Isegun, during a service. At least two to three worshippers were killed, a pastor was abducted, and others were reportedly dragged into nearby bushes, witnesses and security sources say.
Eyewitnesses say the assailants struck at around 6:00 pm, opening fire from outside and then forcing their way into the church.
Some congregants took cover behind pews as masked gunmen carried out their onslaught, according to local reports.
One survivor recalled the terror: “They came suddenly and started shooting. Three people were killed instantly … They gathered others at gunpoint and marched them into the bush.” Below is the video of the church incident:
Another traveller, who was passing through the area by road, described fleeing with others into the bush as bullets rained down.
The Kwara State Police Command, through its Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, confirmed that at least two people died in the attack and one vigilante was wounded. According to the police, one victim, identified as Mr. Aderemi, was shot dead inside the church, while another, Mr. Tunde Asaba Ajayi, was later found dead in a nearby bush.
The injured vigilante, Segun Alaja, has been taken to ECWA Hospital in Eruku, police said.
Authorities say the DPO (Divisional Police Officer) in Eruku, assisted by local vigilante units, responded rapidly to the gunfire, forcing the attackers to retreat into the surrounding bush.
Beyond the fatalities, the most chilling aspect of the incident is the number of people reportedly abducted, including the church’s pastor, according to eyewitnesses. The exact number of kidnapped worshippers is not yet confirmed, but residents say several members were forced into the woods at gunpoint.
Some reports — citing both local residents and community leaders — suggest the assailants used bush paths to retreat to nearby settlements, heightening fears of future attacks.
This attack comes amid growing alarm in Eruku. Residents say the area has been under “perpetual attacks” in recent weeks. One community elder, Benjamin Ayeoribe, told reporters that repeated pleas to both local and state governments have yielded no meaningful action so far: “We are living in fear every day … We need federal help. These attacks are becoming too much for us to bear.”
While condemning the attack, Commissioner of Police Adekimi Ojo commended the swift response of security personnel and local vigilantes, promising that “security agencies will not relent until these hoodlums are totally decimated.”
As of now, no group has claimed responsibility for the raid. The police have launched a security sweep in the bush routes near Eruku, but no abduction rescue has been confirmed.
The church attack is part of a worrying surge in violence across Kwara State, particularly in rural and border communities. Earlier this year, a terror group known as Mahmuda, believed to be a splinter from Boko Haram, was implicated in several deadly attacks in north-central Nigeria.
In a separate but related incident, a pastor from the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), Rev. James Audu Issa, was abducted, a ransom paid, but later killed by his captors, according to local and advocacy reports.
Security agencies are intensifying patrols in the bush routes around Eruku, hoping to locate the abducted pastor and other captives.
Local leaders are calling on both state and federal authorities to deploy more resources to protect the community and prevent further attacks.
The raid is likely to reignite national debate over security in rural Christian communities, especially as incidents of banditry and terrorism continue to undermine stability.
