Bandits demand N100m ransom for each abducted Kwara Church worshipper
Families of worshippers kidnapped from Christ Apostolic Church, Oke-Igan, in Eruku, Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, say the abductors have begun demanding N100 million ransom for each victim.
About 35 people were taken during the Tuesday evening attack. Relatives and community leaders confirmed on Thursday that the kidnappers used the victims’ phones to contact families.
The Secretary of the church, Josiah Agbabiaka, said the bandits had grouped the victims and started reaching out. He explained that the first group of 11 people had each been asked to pay N100 million.
A community leader, Chief Olusegun Olukotun, also confirmed the development. Four members of his family are among the abducted. He said the kidnappers were calling relatives in batches based on the groups they created. Olukotun, who was inside the church during the attack, said he escaped through a window while others were captured.
The traditional ruler of the town, the Owa of Eruku, Oba Busari Olarewaju, has appealed to the government to intensify efforts to rescue the victims. The monarch expressed appreciation for the quick deployment of soldiers after the visit of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq but stressed that more action was needed.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, declined to comment, saying the matter should be directed to the police.
Kwara State Police Command spokesperson, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, said the police had not received any official report of ransom demands. She added that security agencies were already on the ground and working to rescue the victims. The Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, urged the community to provide helpful information as the operation continues.
The attack is the latest in a wave of violent incidents reported in Kwara, raising concerns about the spread of banditry in a state previously seen as relatively safe.
