The abductors of worshippers at the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) in the Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State have demanded ₦100 million as ransom for each of the abductees.
Not less than 30 people were reportedly abducted by the bandits who invaded the church in Eruku on Tuesday during evening service.
It was reported that three people also lost their lives to the attack
Speaking on the incident, a community leader and Olori Eta of Eruku, Chief Olusegun Olukotun, whose four relatives were among the abductees said the bandits had started contacting family members.
Olukotun, who said he was in the church with five of his family members when the incident occurred, said he and one of his wards escaped the attack at about 6:06 p.m. through the church’s window.
“Some people in the community have received calls from the kidnappers demanding ₦100 million for each person, but as regards my own people, I have not received any call concerning them, so I am still waiting,” he added.
The pastor of the church attacked by bandits, Abiodun Bamidele, had said that the attackers abducted about 35 people.
“There was an incident when the bandits came, and they kidnapped almost 30 to 35 members of the church,” the clergyman said.
“We were doing a Thanksgiving service for the 18 people who were kidnapped here three weeks ago, and all of them were rescued,” the preacher added.
But irked by the incident, youths of the Eruku community staged a protest, blocking the Ilorin–Kabba highway at the entrance of the town and causing heavy traffic disruption.
The youths alleged that the attack, which lasted close to an hour, occurred without any response from security operatives stationed in the community.
The Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has called for a stringent security deployment to the council be made to immediately curb the new wave of attacks in the area.