The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) has deployed a team from the Force Intelligence Directorate to Eruku in the Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State to investigate the recent attack on the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) and identify those responsible.
The Directorate, responsible for gathering and analysing intelligence to support police operations, arrived in the community on Tuesday afternoon.
The team, led by a senior intelligence officer identified as Ibo Sam, conducted a round of the affected areas by Pastor Abiodun Bamidele of the CAC.
During the visit, the officers inspected the church premises, locations riddled with bullet holes, and interviewed at least one victim.
According to the team leader, the IGP has issued a firm directive to “fish out the perpetrators.”
‘Fresh Attack’
Meanwhile, bandits have attacked the nearby Isapa community in the same LGA, abducting 11 residents during a violent raid.
More than 20 gunmen reportedly stormed the area on Monday with a large herd of cattle, shooting indiscriminately. An elderly woman was said to have been struck by a stray bullet.
READ ALSO: Tinubu Orders Total Security Cordon On Forests In Kwara, Niger, Kebbi
A community leader, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, confirmed that 11 persons were taken, including seven members of the same family. The abducted victims include a pregnant woman, two nursing mothers, and several children.
The identified victims are: Talatu Kabiru (20), Magaji (6), Kande (5), Hadiza (10), Mariam (6), Saima (5), Habibat (Housewife), Fatima Yusufu (Pregnant), Sarah Sunday (22), Lami Fidelis (23, nursing mother), and Haja Na Allah (Nursing mother).
Residents said the assailants moved through the community, firing shots, leaving walls and doors peppered with bullet holes. Expended AK-47 shells were recovered after the attackers fled.
The latest raid occurred about a week after gunmen attacked the Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, killing three worshippers and abducting 38 others.
Channels Television earlier reported that the terrorists invaded the church during a meeting, opened fire on worshippers, and fled through bush paths linking Eruku to neighbouring communities.
Release
On Sunday, the Kwara State Government confirmed the release of all 38 abducted worshippers.
The state governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, through his Chief Press Secretary Rafiu Ajakaye, credited the rescue to a “hands-on approach” by President Bola Tinubu, who he said “personally led the efforts” to secure their freedom.
The statement, however, did not disclose how the victims regained their freedom.
Security agencies, including the Office of the National Security Adviser, the DSS, the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Intelligence Agency, and the Nigeria Police, were also commended for their roles.
During the attack, the gunmen had initially demanded ₦3 billion in ransom, later reducing it to ₦760 million, community sources told Channels Television.
Youths in Eruku subsequently staged a protest, blocking the Ilorin–Kabba highway and accusing security operatives of failing to respond quickly during the assault, which reportedly lasted close to an hour.
Following the series of attacks, President Tinubu postponed his planned trips to Johannesburg, South Africa, and Luanda, Angola, to receive further security briefings on the abducted Kebbi schoolgirls, the Niger state attack and the Kwara incidents. He also directed the police to pursue the attackers.
Despite the church attack which sent widespread shock, the Christ Apostolic Church held its first service on Sunday since the incident.
The Church Secretary, Michael Agbabiaka, said leaders encouraged members to attend despite the fear and trauma.
In his sermon, the presiding pastor, Bamidele Lawrence, described the attack as a test of faith. He reminded the congregation that God promised the safe return of the abducted worshippers, likening the ordeal to the trials of the Israelites.
