Gunmen, suspected to be bandits, have kidnapped dozens of worshippers during an attack on a church in the Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
It was gathered that the attackers, numbering over 50, invaded the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in Aiyetoro Kiri on Sunday.
One person was reportedly killed by the gunmen who shot indiscriminately during the attack, while over 20 worshippers, including children, were whisked away.
The attack on Aiyetoro Kiri church is the second incident in the community, as bandits had recently invaded the area, abducting 50 people and carting away dozens of phones from a business centre.
The attacks have instilled fear among residents, with many now relocating from the community.
Similarly, there was fear in the Oke-Agi and Ilai communities in the Mopamuro Local Government Area of the state as armed bandits launched simultaneous attacks, leaving behind a trail of destruction and despair.
The assaults, which began at about 4 a.m., reportedly resulted in several fatalities, numerous injuries, and the abduction of innocent residents.
Eyewitness reports indicated that the attackers targeted two specific locations almost concurrently, conducting their operations for over an hour.
They said distress calls from the affected communities, made during the onslaught, were responded to late.
The first incident unfolded in the Jamroro settlement, situated between Oke-Agi and Takete Isao, predominantly inhabited by the Tiv ethnic group.
It was learnt that the violence led to casualties.
The injured victims were transported to an undisclosed hospital for urgent medical attention.
In a second attack near the Ilai Grammar School—less than a kilometer from Ilai town—assailants claimed one life and kidnapped three additional individuals.
Residents are grappling with the aftermath of this brutal assault, as fear and anxiety blanket the community.
Local officials, including Hon. Ademola Bello, the Chairman of Mopamuro Local Government Area, corroborated the accounts of the violence, expressing deep concern over the delayed response to the emergency.
Traditional leaders and community representatives echoed the sentiments, voicing their frustration at the apparent lack of timely intervention from security forces.
Residents called for decisive action to combat the escalating wave of banditry that threatens the safety and security of the Mopamuro and neighboring areas.
As of the latest updates, local officials are attending to the injured victims at the hospital, working to provide necessary support in the wake of this tragedy.
However, the Public Relations Officer for the Kogi State Police Command, SP William Ayah, could not be reached for an official statement as his phone lines remained unreachable as of the time of filing the report.
