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| Image :SaharaReporters |
The Kogi State Government has confirmed a violent early-morning attack on the Cherubim and Seraphim Church in Ejiba, Yagba West Local Government Area, where armed men abducted the pastor and several worshippers.
In a statement issued from Lokoja, Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, condemned the incident, describing it as “deeply disturbing and unacceptable.”
According to official reports, the gunmen stormed the church during a service, kidnapping the pastor—popularly known as Orlando—his wife, and multiple congregants. Earlier, SaharaReporters had disclosed that the victims were taken away during the assault.
Video footage obtained by SaharaReporters captured the church in complete disarray, with scattered footwear, Bibles, and belongings left behind by worshippers as they fled. The individual recording the scene narrated the horrifying incident, pleading for urgent intervention to rescue the abducted victims.
Residents of Ejiba remain in shock, with the attack heightening fears over the escalating insecurity across Kogi State and its border communities.
Fanwo described the situation as “sad and unfortunate,” assuring that security agencies were already working to rescue the abducted victims.
According to him, “Those who struck at Ejiba must have been hiding in the community for some days or in bushes around the village. Some villagers would have seen them and kept quiet. If you refuse to raise alarms when you see strange faces at a time like this, who knows who will be victims of their madness?”
He criticized the practice of holding church services in isolated locations without adequate security, especially weeks after a similar mass abduction occurred in a Kwara State church.
Fanwo added, “Worshipping in the bush without security in this era, just a few weeks after worshippers were abducted from a church in Kwara State, to me is not ideal. We all need to be security conscious at this time. We also need to volunteer intelligence.”
He emphasized that while the government remains committed to safeguarding citizens, communities must also exercise caution.
Fanwo warned, “When you see something, say something. Avoid going to unsecured churches and mosques now. Avoid absolutely unnecessary journeys at this time. Any journey along the danger zones should be avoided. Do not disclose your movement to anyone again.”
The eyewitness who filmed the affected church reaffirmed the horror of the attack, saying:
“I hid myself; this is the church where they abducted people. You are seeing where they kidnapped people at Ejiba. Please, save us. Baba Orlando, who is the head of this church, was abducted. You can see the inside. They didn’t bother to put off the speaker or anything.”
Growing Pattern of Attacks
The Ejiba attack adds to the rising wave of assaults on churches and rural communities in Kogi and neighboring states.
On November 18, 2025, gunmen invaded Christ Apostolic Church, Oke-Isegun, Eruku, in Ekiti LGA of Kwara State during a worship session. The attackers killed five people and kidnapped 38 worshippers, including children and elderly members. Initial ransom demands reportedly reached N100 million per person, later reduced to around N20 million each.
After several days of tension, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq confirmed on November 23, 2025, that all abducted worshippers had been freed through coordinated rescue efforts by the police, DSS, and NIA.
The repeated attacks are fueling urgent calls for improved community vigilance and stronger security presence across worship centers and border communities.
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#ChurchAbduction
#PastorOrlando
#NigeriaInsecurity
#EjibaKidnapping
#KwaraChurchAttack
#SecureOurWorshipPlaces
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