Olayiwola Matthew
Gunmen, on Sunday, attacked the Evangelical Church of West Africa, ECWA, Omugo in Ifelodun Local Government area of Kwara State and abducted eight worshippers during service.
A statement issued in Ilorin on Sunday by the Kwara State Commissioner for Communications, Mrs Bolanle Olukoju, said that the suspected bandits stormed the church premises shooting sporadically to scare members of the congregation.
Olukoju added that three of the abducted victims later escaped from their captors, while five others remained in captivity.
She appealed to security agencies and local vigilance personnel to ensure the perpetrators were 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 government condemns the cowardly targeting of religious centres under any guise,” the Commissioner said.
When contacted, the Commissioner of Police in Kwara, CP Adekimi Ojo, confirmed the incident.
He said that rescue operation was ongoing as joint patrols of police and military personnel were after the perpetrators.
The CP said that only two among the kidnapped victims were below 70 year of age, adding that the three others were elderly people.
Source: NAN
