It is no longer news that 38 members of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) in Eruku, Kwara State — abducted during a violent bandit attack last week — have regained their freedom. Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State announced their release on Sunday.
What many want to know is how it happened and what befell the captors. Was ransom paid to them or were they neutralised?
The Attack and Ransom Demand
On Tuesday evening, gunmen stormed the CAC Oke-Isegun church in Eruku, opening fire during a service. Three people were killed in the attack, and dozens more were taken.
Initially, the kidnappers demanded a ransom of ₦100 million per person. However, by Friday, they reportedly reduced their demand to ₦20 million each, before communication broke down.
Rescue Operation
While the precise operational details remain sketchy, the freed victims were received on Sunday at the Kwara Government House, escorted by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).
Governor AbdulRazaq credited the success to coordinated efforts by security agencies, including the DSS, the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Intelligence Agency, and the Nigeria Police — all mobilized under directives from the presidency.
Although the governor’s office expressed deep gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for his “direct initiative,” it did not provide specific confirmation of a special raid, aerial operation, or decisive firefight.
Aftermath and Care for Survivors
Upon their release, the 38 freed worshippers were taken to the Government House clinic for medical evaluation. Many appeared exhausted and traumatized after their ordeal.
Governor AbdulRazaq emphasised that while the rescue is a relief, the state “will not fully celebrate” security until other ongoing abductions — such as the case of the abducted schoolgirls in Kebbi State — are resolved.
This rescue matters for a range of reasons:
• The attack came amid growing international scrutiny of kidnappings and religious violence in Nigeria.
• The security operation reflects increased pressure on the government to respond more decisively to mass abductions.
• For the Eruku community, the return of the 38 captives — including women, children, and elderly worshippers — represents a major relief, though the trauma of the attack will likely linger.
Meanwhile, security sources disclosed that the briefing of heads of security agencies led to the successful rescue of all the 38 kidnapped church worshippers of Eruku, Ifelodun LGA, Kwara State by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) at about 3.20 pm on Sunday.
Several AK-47 – wielding men had last Wednesday invaded the Christ Apostolic Church, Eruku, Kwara State, shooting at worshippers. At the end of the bloody attack which was inadvertently streamed live, two worshippers lay dead with several others wounded. The gunmen thereafter fled into the bushes with 38 other worshippers, triggering international outrage.
The sources added that the involvement of President triggered an unprecedented intelligence mapping and aerial surveillance by Office of the NSA, resulting in DSS operatives swopping on established coordinates in the forests of Oreke Okeigbo, in Ifelodun LGA of Kwara State.
According to the sources, the president approved the Sunday raid by the DSS and the Nigeria Air Force, culminating in the rescue of the victims. The sources said the operation was highly classified, so couldn’t tell if the kidnappers fled on sighting the security operatives, or were eliminated.
The sources drew attention to the fact that some gunmen had in June attacked a marble mining company in the same area, killing two policemen, and kidnapped some Chinese workers.
A breakdown of the 38 rescued kidnapped church worshippers showed that 26 of them are females while the remaining 12 are males.
The oldest victim is 67 years old, while the youngest worshipper is five. Four other rescued victims are six, nine years old respectively. Two of them are 10 years old; three are in their pre-teens, four are teenagers, while the rest are between 20 and 58 years old, disclosed the source.
