Two persons were killed and several others abducted on Tuesday evening when armed bandits stormed Eruku community in the Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The attackers reportedly invaded the Christ Apostolic Church, Oke Isegun, during a worship session, shooting sporadically before whisking away some worshippers. Residents fled into nearby bushes as the gunmen advanced.
Eyewitnesses said the community has suffered repeated incursions in recent times, despite efforts by local vigilantes and the Eruku Progressive Union to resist the criminals.
“They came in the evening and started shooting. Two people were killed instantly, and we don’t even know how many were taken,” a resident told Nigerian Tribune.
Confirming the incident, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Toun Ejire-Adeyemi, described it as “an attempted bandit attack,” noting that the swift response of police operatives and vigilantes forced the attackers to flee into the bush.
She said officers, led by the Divisional Police Officer in Eruku, responded immediately after hearing gunshots on the outskirts of the town.
“Upon searching the area, one victim, Mr. Aderemi, was found fatally shot inside the church. Another victim, Mr. Tunde Asaba Ajayi, was discovered dead in the bush. A vigilante member, Segun Alaja, sustained gunshot injuries and was rushed to ECWA Hospital, Eruku,” she said.
Ejire-Adeyemi added that Commissioner of Police Adekimi Ojo commended the response of security personnel and assured residents that efforts are ongoing to track down the perpetrators.
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