Bandits who abducted 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.
At least 30 people were reportedly taken away by the bandits who attacked the church in Eruku on Tuesday.
Three people were also said to have been killed during the attack while the worshippers were holding a service.
A community leader and Olori Eta of Eruku, Chief Olusegun Olukotun, whose four relatives were among the kidnapped victims 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.
“From what we gathered from the kidnappers’ camp, they (kidnappers) have grouped the victims according to their relations and are now calling our people through each of the groups.
“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.
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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.
A youth leader, Peter Adesiyan, also criticised the police, saying that despite the community’s support in building facilities for the division, officers did not act when residents needed them most.
The Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, requested that a more urgent security deployment to the council be made to immediately curtail the new wave of attacks in the area.
The Eruku attack is part of a recent wave of security incidents affecting border communities in Kwara State.
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