Olayiwola Matthew
Bandits who abducted about 35 worshippers from the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) in the Eruku community, Ekiti LGA of Kwara, have reportedly demanded N100 million ransom for each victim.
The attack took place on Tuesday evening when armed men stormed the church, killing some worshippers and abducting others.
A video recorded during a live-streamed service showed the congregation in worship moments before sporadic gunshots rang out from within the church surroundings.
According to report, multiple family members and community leaders confirmed on Thursday that the kidnappers had contacted relatives through the phones of the abducted worshippers taken during the Tuesday evening assault.
Josiah Agbabiaka, secretary of the CAC assembly, said that several families had already been reached by the abductors. He quoted him as saying, “It is true that the bandits have started contacting family members using the victims’ phones to demand ransom. From what we were told, they grouped the victims. The first group of 11 people has been asked to pay N100 million each.”
Olusegun Olukotun, the Olori Eta of Eruku, who has four family members among the abducted, also confirmed that the kidnappers were contacting families in batches.
He said, “Some people in the community have received calls from the kidnappers demanding N100 million for each person. They said the victims were grouped and they are calling each group’s relatives.”
Olukotun added that he had been inside the church with five members of his family during the attack. He said he managed to escape through a window while the others were taken by the attackers.
Meanwhile, the traditional ruler of Eruku, Oba Busari Olarewaju, has appealed for immediate government intervention to ensure the safe rescue of the abducted worshippers.
The monarch acknowledged the rapid deployment of military personnel to the community after the visit of AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, governor of Kwara, on Wednesday, but stressed that additional action remained necessary. He said, “Last night, soldiers entered our community minutes after the governor visited. Their presence gave us some assurance that the government is responding. But we are still appealing that efforts should be intensified to rescue our people as quickly as possible.”