Thirty-eight members of Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) Oke Isegun in Eruku, Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, remain in captivity after a deadly bandit attack on Tuesday that killed three people.
The church held its first Sunday service since the attack in a sober and subdued atmosphere, with only about 30 congregants in attendance at the large church.
The service, lasting approximately an hour, was dominated by prayers for the release of the kidnapped worshippers and for the repose of those who lost their lives.
In his sermon, Pastor Bamidele Lawrence described the attack as a test of faith and shared that he had received divine assurance regarding the safety of the abducted members.
He likened their ordeal to the biblical trials of the Israelites and emphasized that the three deceased are at the feet of Jesus Christ.
“Whenever and wherever death calls, Christians should not deny Jesus Christ. Let us rejoice because those who were killed inside the church are at the feet of our Lord Jesus Christ. Whoever dies because of religion testifies to their faith. The blood of those who were killed will cry for justice, and God’s judgment will come on them. We should not fear death, because death is the way to life,” Pastor Lawrence said.
One worshipper, James Ige, whose wife and son are among those abducted, appealed to security agencies to intensify rescue efforts, stressing that his family’s fate depends on swift government action.
Church Secretary Michael Agbabiaka confirmed that 38 persons were abducted, correcting earlier misinformation that suggested over 60 victims. He explained that the initial list contained 35 names, but further verification identified three additional non-members taken during the attack.
Agbabiaka also revealed that the bandits initially demanded N100 million per victim but later reduced the ransom to N20 million each before communication broke off on Friday. Despite the trauma, church leaders encouraged members to attend the service as a demonstration of faith and resilience.
Heavy security deployment was observed across Eruku, including soldiers, the Special Tactical Squad from Force Headquarters, SWAT, the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Kwara Police Command, and local vigilantes. This follows directives from President Bola Tinubu for joint operations to track the attackers and secure the victims’ release.