Gunmen Kill 3 Worshippers, Abduct 15 During Church Night Vigil in Kwara

What Happened

Gunmen stormed a prayer ground in Ikiran Village, Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, on Saturday night, killing three worshippers and kidnapping 15 others during a church night vigil.

The attack happened at Ori-Oke Ajaiye, a prayer ground on the outskirts of the Ikerin/Ajuba axis. The assailants arrived in large numbers, fired sporadically at the congregation, and fled through nearby forest routes with the abducted victims.

A resident who spoke to The PUNCH on condition of anonymity said the community was thrown into chaos. “People were running in different directions because of the gunshots. Some families could not even find their relatives until this morning,” the resident said.

Police Response

Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, confirmed the attack in a statement issued Sunday by command spokesperson Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi. The CP described the incident as “gruesome and condemnable.”

According to the police, the vigil was being conducted by Pastor Adebayo Abiodun of Ijo Ajaye Ati Igbala, Ekerin Village, when the gunmen struck.

“While conducting a night vigil alongside members of his congregation at Ori-Oke Ijaye via Ekerin village, armed hoodlums invaded the prayer ground, firing sporadically,” the CP said.

The Divisional Police Officer for Ekiti Division mobilised operatives to the scene immediately after receiving the distress call. Commissioner Ojo said a “comprehensive tactical and intelligence-driven operation” is now underway to rescue the abducted victims and track down the perpetrators.

Growing Insecurity in Rural Communities

The Kwara attack is the latest in a series of violent raids on rural communities across Nigeria’s north-central region. Places of worship have become soft targets — remote locations, limited security, and attackers who know both.

As of Sunday morning, the identities of those killed and abducted had not been made public. Families in Ikiran and surrounding villages are still coming to terms with what happened, many still searching for missing loved ones.

Sources: Punch, Vanguard