Kidnappers Demand ₦100 Million for Each of 38 Abducted Churchgoers in Kwara
Heavily armed bandits who attacked a Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, are demanding a ransom of ₦100 million for each of the approximately 38 worshippers they abducted.
Details of the Attack
The incident occurred on Tuesday evening, during a church service, when gunmen stormed the premises, opened fire, and took dozens of people hostage.
At least five people were killed, and several others wounded, according to local reports.
Ransom Demands Made
The kidnappers have begun contacting families of the abducted, reportedly using the mobile phones of the victims.
According to community leader Chief Olusegun Olukotun (Olori Eta of Eruku), the captives are being grouped based on family relations, and calls are being made to each group demanding the ₦100 million ransom per person.
Olukotun, whose four relatives are among those taken, said he escaped the attack with one of his wards by fleeing through a church window.
Community Response & Appeal
The traditional ruler of Eruku, Oba Busari Olarewaju, has appealed to state and federal authorities for urgent intervention to secure the release of the captives.
He also commended the deployment of military personnel to the area but called for more sustained efforts.
Some community leaders are urging that local vigilante groups be better equipped, arguing they need “more sophisticated weapons” to defend against such attacks.
Security Situation
Security forces are reported to be searching the forested areas around Eruku, a border community between Kwara and Kogi States, which is often vulnerable to armed incursions.
The high ransom demand underscores the growing problem of mass kidnappings in parts of Nigeria’s rural regions, where kidnapping has become a major source of income for criminal gangs.