Suspected gunmen invaded Christ Apostolic Church in Eda Oniyo-Ekiti, Ilejemeje Local Council of Ekiti State, during a nighttime worship service on Tuesday evening, killing the presiding pastor and abducting several worshippers. Police said the attackers took an undisclosed number of people into a nearby forest.
Preliminary police investigation said the attack happened on April 28, 2026, at about 22:30 hours, when church members were holding all-night prayers on the outskirts of the town. The assailants were said to number about five.
The killing and abductions turned a routine prayer gathering into one of the state’s latest security shocks. Ekiti State Commissioner of Police Falade Michael ordered a thorough investigation and a serious manhunt, while police said security agencies had already begun bush-combing operations in the area. The Nigerian Army, Amotekun Corps, Agro Marshals, local vigilantes and hunters were all drawn into the search.
Sunday Abutu said the police had commenced a coordinated operation to apprehend the attackers and rescue the abducted victims. He said the commissioner of police was calling for calm as officers and other security agencies moved to salvage the situation and prevent a repeat. He also urged members of the public to remain vigilant, be security conscious and report any suspicious person or group to the police or other security agencies at 08062335577.
The attack has sharpened fears over the safety of worshippers in rural communities, especially at night gatherings that are often held on the edges of towns. CAN President Daniel Okoh called for the immediate release of those in captivity, describing the assault as “a brutal assault on our shared humanity and the sanctity of life” and saying it was “deeply troubling and reflects a grave disregard for life, faith, and for the moral fabric of our society.”
The immediate question now is whether the combined manhunt can find the abducted worshippers before the forest around Eda Oniyo-Ekiti gives the gunmen cover to disappear.
