Armed gunmen on Friday night attacked a vigil prayer gathering in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, killing three worshippers and abducting 15 others.
The attack occurred at about 8:30 p.m. at Ori-Oke Ajaiye, a prayer ground located on the outskirts of Ikiran Village near Ekerin community, where members of a church congregation had assembled for an overnight vigil.
According to the Kwara State Police Command, the incident was reported on Saturday by Pastor Adebayo Abiodun of Ijo Ajaye Ati Igbala, Ekerin Village, who said heavily armed assailants stormed the prayer venue and opened fire on worshippers before whisking several victims away to an unknown destination.
Police spokesperson SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi described the incident as “gruesome, barbaric and unacceptable,” noting that security operatives responded immediately after receiving the distress report.
“The Divisional Police Officer in Ekiti Division mobilised operatives to the scene upon receiving information about the attack,” the statement said.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Ojo Adekimi, has reportedly ordered an intensive rescue and manhunt operation involving tactical units, intelligence teams, PMF personnel and the Police Drone Team to track down the attackers and secure the release of the abducted victims.
The police assured residents that coordinated security operations, including bush combing and intelligence gathering, were ongoing across surrounding forests and neighbouring communities.
Authorities also appealed to members of the public to remain vigilant and provide credible information that could assist security agencies in the rescue operation and ongoing investigation.
The latest attack adds to growing concerns over insecurity and rising incidents of kidnapping in parts of Nigeria, particularly in rural communities where armed groups have increasingly targeted worship centres, travellers and residents.
Fresh Wave of Insecurity Hits Nigeria as Kwara Prayer Ground Attack, Oyo School Kidnap Raise Alarm
Renewed concerns over insecurity have emerged in Nigeria following separate attacks in Kwara State and Oyo State involving the killing, abduction and kidnapping of innocent citizens.
In Kwara State, armed gunmen on Friday night attacked a vigil prayer gathering in Ekiti Local Government Area, killing three worshippers and abducting 15 others.
The attack occurred around 8:30 p.m. at Ori-Oke Ajaiye, a prayer ground situated on the outskirts of Ikiran Village near Ekerin community, where church members had gathered for an overnight vigil.
According to the Kwara State Police Command, the assailants stormed the prayer venue and opened fire on worshippers before taking several victims into the surrounding forest.
Police spokesperson SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi described the incident as “gruesome, barbaric and unacceptable,” adding that security operatives were immediately deployed to the area after the attack was reported.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Ojo Adekimi, reportedly ordered a coordinated rescue and manhunt operation involving tactical units, intelligence teams, PMF personnel and the Police Drone Team.
Meanwhile, in neighbouring Oyo State, concerns have continued to grow following the abduction of schoolchildren by suspected gunmen in a recent attack that sparked outrage among residents and parents.
The incident in Oyo has further heightened fears over the safety of students and rural communities, as criminal gangs increasingly target vulnerable locations for kidnappings and violent attacks.
Security agencies in both states have assured residents that efforts are ongoing to rescue victims, apprehend the perpetrators and strengthen surveillance across affected communities.
The latest incidents add to mounting pressure on Nigerian security authorities to curb rising cases of banditry, kidnapping and attacks on civilians across different parts of the country.
Church Attack In Kwara Deepens Fears Over Growing Insecurity In South-West Nigeria
Fresh concerns over worsening insecurity in South-West Nigeria have emerged following a deadly attack on worshippers in Kwara State and recent incidents of kidnappings and violent crimes across the region.
Armed gunmen on Friday night invaded a vigil prayer gathering at Ori-Oke Ajaiye in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, killing three worshippers and abducting 15 others.
The attack occurred at about 8:30 p.m. on the outskirts of Ikiran Village near Ekerin community, where members of a church congregation had assembled for an overnight vigil.
According to the Kwara State Police Command, the assailants stormed the prayer ground and opened fire sporadically before taking several worshippers away into the surrounding forest.
The incident was reportedly reported by Pastor Adebayo Abiodun of Ijo Ajaye Ati Igbala, Ekerin Village.
Police spokesperson SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi described the attack as “gruesome, barbaric and unacceptable,” adding that security operatives were immediately deployed to the area after the distress call was received.
The Commissioner of Police in Kwara State, CP Ojo Adekimi, subsequently ordered a large-scale rescue and manhunt operation involving tactical teams, intelligence operatives, PMF personnel and the Police Drone Team.
The church attack comes amid growing anxiety over the increasing wave of kidnappings, attacks on rural communities and assaults on schools across parts of South-West Nigeria.
In neighbouring Oyo State, residents are still grappling with fears following recent reports of school-related kidnappings and attacks targeting vulnerable communities, further raising concerns about the spread of violent criminal activities beyond Nigeria’s traditional conflict zones.
Security analysts and community leaders have warned that the rising incidents of abduction and attacks in parts of the South-West indicate an alarming expansion of organised criminal operations into areas previously considered relatively safe.
Residents in affected communities have continued to call for stronger security presence, improved intelligence gathering and swift government action to prevent further attacks.
Meanwhile, security agencies in Kwara and neighbouring states have assured the public that coordinated operations are ongoing to rescue abducted victims and bring the perpetrators to justice.
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Rising Insecurity Spreads From Northern Nigeria To Middle Belt, South-West Regions
Nigeria’s worsening insecurity crisis, once largely concentrated in the northern part of the country, has steadily spread through the Middle Belt and is now taking increasingly dangerous dimensions in parts of the South-West, raising fresh concerns among residents, security experts and community leaders.
For years, states in Northern Nigeria battled insurgency, banditry and mass kidnappings, particularly in regions affected by attacks from armed groups and criminal gangs operating across rural communities and highways. States such as Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina and Sokoto became notorious hotspots for violent attacks, cattle rustling and large-scale abductions.
Over time, the violence expanded into the Middle Belt region, with recurring attacks and communal clashes reported in Plateau State, Benue State and Nasarawa State. Communities in and around Jos have repeatedly witnessed deadly assaults linked to armed groups, land disputes and retaliatory violence, leaving hundreds displaced and many communities devastated.
Benue State, often described as Nigeria’s “food basket,” has also suffered repeated attacks on farming communities, with residents frequently accusing armed herders and criminal gangs of killings, kidnappings and destruction of farmlands. Similar security challenges have affected border communities between Nasarawa and neighbouring states, where attacks on travellers and villagers have become increasingly common.
Security analysts say the gradual movement of violent criminal networks from the North into the Middle Belt was fuelled by weak border surveillance, poor intelligence coordination, proliferation of illegal arms and the growing profitability of kidnapping-for-ransom operations.
Now, fresh fears are emerging as insecurity appears to be spreading deeper into parts of South-West Nigeria, a region once considered relatively safer than other parts of the country.
Recent incidents in Kwara State and Oyo State have heightened concerns over the expansion of violent criminal activities into rural communities, worship centres and schools.
In Kwara State, gunmen recently attacked a church vigil at Ori-Oke Ajaiye in Ekiti Local Government Area, killing three worshippers and abducting 15 others during an overnight prayer gathering. The attack shocked residents and renewed concerns over the vulnerability of remote religious centres and villages.
Similarly, residents in Oyo State have expressed fears over increasing reports of kidnappings and attacks targeting schools, travellers and farmers along major roads and forest corridors.
Observers note that criminal gangs are increasingly exploiting forests that connect several South-West states to launch attacks and evade security operations. The development has prompted calls for stronger regional security collaboration, enhanced intelligence gathering and increased deployment of security personnel to vulnerable communities.
Community leaders and security experts have warned that if urgent measures are not taken, the South-West could face a deeper security crisis similar to the prolonged instability experienced in parts of Northern Nigeria and the Middle Belt.
Many residents are also urging federal and state authorities to invest more in rural policing, surveillance technology, border monitoring and rapid-response operations to prevent armed groups from establishing permanent operational bases in the region.
As attacks continue to spread across different parts of the country, concerns remain over the capacity of security agencies to contain the growing wave of kidnappings, banditry and violent crimes threatening lives and livelihoods nationwide.
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