Eight worshippers were reportedly abducted on Sunday when gunmen attacked the Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA), Omugo, in the Ifelodun LGA of Kwara state.
Bolanle Olukoju, commissioner for communications in Kwara, said in a statement that the suspected bandits invaded the church premises and fired sporadically during service to scare the congregation.
Olukoju added that three of the abducted victims later escaped from their captors, while five others remain in captivity.
She appealed to security agencies and local vigilantes to ensure the perpetrators are apprehended.
“The government commends the security agencies, forest guards and local vigilantes for their proactive response to the incident and the rescue of three of the eight victims,” the commissioner said.
“The government condemns the cowardly targeting of religious centres under any guise.”
The state commissioner of police, Adekimi Ojo, confirmed the incident and noted that a rescue operation was ongoing, as joint patrols of police and military personnel were after the perpetrators.
The CP added that only two among the kidnapped victims were below 70 years of age, adding that the three others were elderly people.
