Fresh details have emerged regarding Tuesday’s deadly attack by armed bandits on the Eruku community in the Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The assault, which occurred around 6:05 p.m., targeted the First C.A.C Church at Oke Ado Are, where a large number of worshippers had gathered for a special programme, DAILY POST reports.
According to security sources, the attackers stormed the church premises and opened fire, killing at least three people and abducting no fewer than 30 residents, including elderly individuals and children.
“Those who lost their lives included one Asaba and Deremi, while the third victim is yet to be identified,” one security report stated. Several others sustained gunshot injuries and were rushed to Egbe General Hospital in Kogi State for treatment.
The incident is the latest in a series of violent attacks carried out by bandits operating in and around Eruku, a border community that shares proximity with Kogi State. However, residents say Tuesday’s attack marked a frightening escalation, plunging the town into panic and deepening fears about worsening insecurity.
Security operatives, including police and local vigilante groups, have since launched bush combing operations in an effort to rescue those taken into the forest by the attackers.
Confirming the attack, the spokesperson for the Kwara State Police Command, SP Adetoun Ejire Adeyemi, issued a brief statement on Tuesday evening, acknowledging the incident and assuring that further details would be released as investigations progress.
Residents are calling on both state and federal authorities to urgently deploy more security assets, citing repeated attacks that have left the border communities vulnerable and traumatised.
