Bandits Demand N100m Each for 38 Abducted Kwara Worshippers

Suspected bandits who abducted 38 worshippers from the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Oke-Isegun, in Eruku, Kwara State, are demanding N100 million for each victim, community leaders said on Thursday. The armed men invaded the church during a Tuesday evening service, shooting into the air before herding congregants  including the pastor  into the surrounding forest.

Olori Eta of Eruku, Chief Olusegun Olukotun, said he managed to flee through a window, though four members of his family were among those taken. He said some residents had begun receiving ransom calls and that the abductors had arranged the captives in groups based on family connections.

Olukotun welcomed the swift outreach from Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq but urged authorities to deploy more personnel to the troubled border zone. He noted that local vigilantes lacked the weapons needed to confront attackers who arrived with advanced firearms.

The broader Eruku–Egbe and Osi–Obbo corridor has suffered repeated kidnappings and armed raids in recent months. Security agencies have yet to comment publicly, but locals say joint teams are searching nearby forests for the missing worshippers.