By Joy Yesufu
Armed assailants have killed three worshippers and abducted 15 others during a deadly attack on a prayer ground in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The attack, which occurred on Saturday night at Ori-Oke Ajaiye on the outskirts of Ikiran Village in the Ikerin/Ajuba axis, threw surrounding communities into panic as residents fled amid heavy gunfire.
The Kwara State Police Command confirmed the incident on Sunday, describing the attack as “gruesome and condemnable.”
According to the police, the gunmen stormed the prayer ground during a night vigil organised by a church identified as Ijo Ajaye Ati Igbala and opened fire on worshippers before whisking several victims away through nearby forest routes.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns, said families spent the night searching for missing relatives after the attackers fled.
“People were running in different directions because of the gunshots. Some families could not even find their relatives until this morning,” the resident said.
In a statement issued in Ilorin, the spokesperson for the command, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, said the incident was reported by Pastor Adebayo Abiodun, who was leading the vigil when the attack occurred.
The statement quoted the Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, as saying, “While conducting a night vigil alongside members of his congregation at Ori-Oke Ajaiye via Ekerin Village, armed hoodlums invaded the prayer ground, firing sporadically.”
The police confirmed that three worshippers were killed during the attack, while 15 others were abducted and taken to an unknown destination.
Following the distress call, operatives attached to the Ekiti Division were immediately deployed to the scene, while the police commissioner ordered a large-scale rescue operation involving tactical teams, intelligence units, and the Police Drone Team.
“A comprehensive tactical and intelligence-driven operation involving the Police Drone Team, PMF personnel, intelligence units, and other operational assets has been deployed for a coordinated rescue mission,” the statement added.
The command assured residents that security agencies were intensifying bush combing and intelligence gathering efforts across the affected communities to track down the attackers and rescue the abducted victims.
The latest incident has heightened fears in Kwara South, where worship centres and rural communities have witnessed repeated attacks in recent months.
In November 2025, gunmen attacked a Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, killing three worshippers and abducting 38 others before security operatives later rescued the victims.
Another church attack in Omugo, Ifelodun Local Government Area, in March 2026 led to the abduction of 11 worshippers.
Police authorities urged residents to remain calm and provide credible information that could assist ongoing rescue operations.
