Gunmen on Tuesday night attacked a Christ Apostolic Church in Eda Oniyo Ekiti, Ilejemeje Local Government Area of Ekiti State, killing a pastor and abducting an unspecified number of worshippers.
The attack, which occurred around 8.30 pm during a church programme, has thrown the community into panic, with residents expressing fears over rising insecurity in the area.
Sources in the community said the assailants, who were armed and arrived in numbers, stormed the church located on the outskirts of the town, shot the pastor dead and whisked away several worshippers into a nearby forest.
One of the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said efforts were ongoing to determine the exact number of abducted victims.
“The invaders were many. They killed the pastor and took away some worshippers. We cannot say the number yet. Moves to collate those who are missing have begun. The community is in a panic mode for now,” the source said.
Confirming the incident on Wednesday, the Ekiti State Police Command said it had launched a rescue operation to secure the release of the abducted victims.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Sunday Abutu, said the Commissioner of Police, Michael Falade, had ordered a thorough investigation and a manhunt for the perpetrators.
“The Police in collaboration with the Nigerian Army, the Amotekun Corps, the Agro Marshal, the Vigilantes and the local hunters have commenced an aggressive bush combing operations and a serious manhunt on the perpetrators in order to ensure the rescue of the victims and the arrest and prosecution of the culprits,” Abutu said.
He added that the police were working to ensure the safe rescue of the victims and the arrest of those responsible.
“The commissioner of Police calls for calm as necessary steps are currently being taken to salvage the situation and forestall recurrence.
“Members of the public are charged to be security conscious, vigilant and promptly report any suspicious person or group of persons found within their environments to the police and other security agencies for necessary proactive actions,” he added.
Abutu also advised religious leaders to notify the police before organising late-night gatherings to enable adequate security arrangements.
