*CAN demands swift rescue
The Eleda of Eda-Oniyo, Oba Joseph Awolola, has said that abductors of 15 worshippers in Eda-Oniyo, Ilejemeje, Ekiti, have demanded N1billion for their release.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 15 worshippers at the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) No. 2, Eda-Oniyo, Ilejemeje Local Government Area of Ekiti were abducted on Tuesday during a vigil.
A guest pastor to the church was also killed during the incident.
Oba Awolola disclosed this during the visit of a government delegation to the community on Wednesday.
The delegation led by retired Brig.-Gen. Ebenezer Ogundana, Special Adviser on Security to Gov. Biodun Oyebanji; also included the State Commissioner of Police, Mr Michael Falade and the Ilejemeje Council Chairman, Mr Pius Alaba.
The traditional ruler expressed the traditional council’s readiness to cooperate and assist the government in curtailing such ugly incident within the council.
In his remarks, the Chairman of Ilejemeje Local Government Area, Mr Pius Alaba, said among those abducted was a family of four, comprising a mother and her three children.
Alaba said that efforts were ongoing to facilitate the release of the kidnapped victims.
Meanwhile, the Ekiti government through its Commissioner of Information, Mr Taiwo Olatunbosun, has condemned the attack on the worshippers.
Olatubosun described the incident as heinous and unacceptable.
“The government extends its deepest condolences to the families of the victims who died and assures of its committment to ensure the safe return of those sill in captivity.
“In swift response to the incident, the State Government has deployed a high-powered security delegation led by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Brig,- Gen Ebenezer Ogundana (rtd.), to coordinate on-ground operations in the affected community.
“This effort is being carried out in close collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, the Amotekun Corps, local vigilante groups, and other relevant security agencies to ensure a robust and unified security response.
“Furthermore, the Government has ordered the immediate deployment of the 148 Battalion of the Nigerian Army, alongside its Commanding Officer, to the area.
“Full-scale surveillance operations have also been activated to comprehensively monitor the environment, track down the perpetrators, and forestall any further security breaches,” the special adviser said.
SWIFT RESCUE
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has condemned the recent attack on a church gathering in Eda Oniyo Ekiti, Ekiti State.
A statement by CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, on Wednesday, described the incident as a “brutal assault on shared humanity and the sanctity of life.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that gunmen killed a pastor and abducted several worshippers during an open-air crusade at the church.
Okoh expressed deep shock over the killing, noting that it was disturbing for peaceful worshippers to be met with such violence.
”We mourn with the family of the slain Pastor and stand in full solidarity with the victims and the entire Christian community in Ekiti State.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been taken, and we call for their immediate and safe release,” the statement read.
The CAN President lamented that the tragedy followed a “disturbing pattern” of insecurity across the country.
He recalled a recent incident in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi, where gunmen abducted residents, including clergy and their family members.
He said these repeated attacks underscore a deepening security crisis that must not be ignored by the authorities.
The association reminded the government that the protection of lives and property remains its primary responsibility.
It urged security agencies to act “swiftly, decisively, and transparently” to apprehend the perpetrators and ensure the unharmed rescue of the victims.
To prevent future attacks, CAN outlined recommendations for the government, including the immediate deployment of additional security personnel to vulnerable and rural communities.
The association also recommended the enhancement of proactive intelligence gathering to forestall criminal activities, while demanding that the perpetrators of the Ekiti atrocity be apprehended and brought to justice without delay.
Okoh further warned against the “normalisation” of attacks on places of worship, describing them as places of refuge that should never become hunting grounds for criminals.The association prayed for comfort for the bereaved families and the restoration of peace and security across Nigeria.
