Judul : Kwara Church Thanksgiving Turns to Tragedy
link : Kwara Church Thanksgiving Turns to Tragedy
Kwara Church Thanksgiving Turns to Tragedy
On November 18, fearless attackers caused chaos at the Christ Apostolic Church in Oke-Isegba, Eruku, killing and taking worshippers hostage with minimal opposition. DARE AKOGUN investigates the condition of the community following the assault
As the sound of gunshots echoed inside the Christ Apostolic Church in Oke-Isegba, located within the Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, several locals initially thought they were just firecrackers set off by young people celebrating the conclusion of the harvest period.
However, within moments, the noises became more distinct, fast, and unyielding, resembling the sound of a machine gun piercing the atmosphere.
At that point, the victims had no opportunity to implement effective safety actions because well-equipped robbers entered the church.
In a short time, the joyful Thanksgiving environment turned into cries of fear and anguish when three worshippers were killed and 35 individuals, including men, women, and children, were taken away.
The service, Saturday PUNCHcollected, was arranged to honor the successful recovery of 18 individuals who had been taken by roaming attackers.
Death in God’s house
For Adesuyi Joshua, the night has turned into a scar that may never heal.
"They stole my wife and my granddaughter," he said, his voice shaking.
They were taken out of the church along with over 30 others. Initially, we believed the sounds were from firecrackers, but shortly after, we understood that death had entered the house of God.
Joshua claimed that he and other young people organized themselves to face the aggressors, but what happened next was a betrayal even more distressing than the kidnappings.
"Police shot at us. They used tear gas when we pursued the bandits. They let them go," he stated.
His claim is now repeated by many in the formerly tranquil Yagba-speaking border town.
Police accused of negligence
By midday on Wednesday, whenSaturday PUNCHwent to the town, emotions were intense as locals tried to manage their frustration.
Thousands of young people set up fires along the Ilorin–Kabba Expressway, causing trailers, fuel trucks, and buses to stop for many hours.
A young leader, Shola Peters, blamed the Eruku Police Division for serious neglect while standing next to a burning pile of tires.
"We constructed homes for the DPO and his team. They are our siblings, yet when the raiders arrived, they let us down," Peters expressed sorrowfully.
He gestured toward the police station opposite, saying angrily, “Rather than helping us chase the attackers, they blocked us. The IG should investigate this department. All they do is detain young people and call them cultists or Yahoo boys.”
He mentioned that the young people, equipped with just a single pump-action rifle and a Dane gun, faced terrorists who had AK-49 rifles and General Purpose Machine Guns.
"We made an attempt, but their military strength was overwhelming," he stated.
Attackers’ disturbing pattern
A neighborhood vigilante, who requested to remain unidentified as he was not permitted to speak publicly, characterized the timing of the assault as questionable.
"Two days prior to the assault, our forest rangers and local patrols were removed for training. This is what happened in Oke-Ode as well, following the removal of the patrols' weapons. The government needs to conduct an investigation," he stated.
Surrounded by dense woods that extend into Kogi and Ekiti states, a lack of security can prove dangerous.
For Feyisara, the most recent assault is deeply unsettling. Her mother was taken several months back while on her way home from the marketplace.
She stated that the abductors requested N10m but agreed to N4m once the family sold all their possessions and pleaded.
"My mother hasn't regained her health. She suffers from high blood pressure and shakes when she hears a knock. This latest incident shows the government has left us behind," she said, observing smoke rising from the young people's barrier.
The blame game in Ekiti Local Government
Another inhabitant and agriculturalist, Funmi Anifowose, attributed the breakdown of local security backing to the administration of the Ekiti Local Government Area.
"Once, our vigilantes protected us. The former council provided them with ammunition; that's no longer the case. I can't cultivate land, I can't go to Ilorin. This chairman we elected is like the trouble we've invited upon ourselves," she stated.
She blamed the council chairman, Awelewa Gabriel, for being negligent.
"He doesn't answer calls; he doesn't remain at the secretariat. He spends his time in his block industry. Is that how a chairman should act?" she questioned.
Some security personnel and vigilante group members who were sent to Eruku statedSaturday PUNCHthat the chairman consistently declined to supply patrol resources.
One of them remarked, "We cover more than 120 kilometers each day using only 25 liters of fuel. Whenever we bring it up, he claims the government is already compensating us."
However, the LG Legislative Speaker, Michael Fatoyinbo, rejected the allegations as politically driven.
He mentioned that the chairman renovated a Hilux for vigilantes at a cost of N3.6 million, purchased a Bajaj motorcycle for the DPO, and sent out vigilantes on the night of the attack.
"These claims are intended to damage the chairman," Fatoyinbo stated.
"it's targeted genocide" – CAN coordinator
The Ekiti Local Government Area representative of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Kenneth Adigoke, stated that the incident had distinct religious implications.
"They entered the church, killed three people, and took 35 others hostage. If Christians refer to it as a targeted genocide, they would not be mistaken," he stated, calling on the government to address insecurity without bias.
The CAC Assembly's Secretary, Elder Josiah Agbabiaka, statedSaturday PUNCHsome families had already been reached by the kidnappers, who requested N100m per individual.
The bandits began contacting family members on Thursday, using the victims' phones to request ransom. According to information received, they gathered the victims. The first group of 11 individuals was asked to pay N100m each.
"We require government involvement. How can underprivileged families come up with such large sums?" he asked.
Additionally verifying the situation, the Olori Eta of Eruku, Chief Olusegun Olukotun, whose four family members were among the kidnapped, stated that the abductors were reaching out to relatives in an organized manner.
"Some individuals have gotten calls asking for N100m per person. They have gathered the victims and are contacting each group's relatives. I am still waiting to hear from my family members. We were all in the church, but I was able to escape through a window," he said.
In the meantime, the customary leader of the town, the Owa of Eruku, Oba Busari Olarewaju, called for immediate governmental action to guarantee the safe retrieval of the affected individuals.
The ruler, who praised the quick mobilization of armed forces after the state Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, visited, stated that further actions are still required.
"Last night, troops arrived in our neighborhood just minutes after the governor's visit. Their arrival provided us with a sense of comfort that the government is taking action. However, we are still urging for increased efforts to save our people as soon as possible," he stated.
NUT orders school closure
In the meantime, the Nigeria Union of Teachers has declared the immediate shutdown of all educational institutions in Isin, Irepodun, Ifelodun, and Ekiti LGAs.
The order, released by the NUT President, Yusuf Agboola, referenced new security dangers reported by the authorities.
While on his visit, the governor mentioned he had reached out to the GOC 2 Division and the IG for additional support, stating, "We are working towards setting up a Forward Operating Base and a Mobile Police Squadron in this area."
Fear lingers
As night descended on Thursday, women assembled in small groups near the church ruins, murmuring prayers, holding pictures, and nervously looking for news.
The town square smelled strongly of burning tires, while the shadows of the nearby forests cast an ominous presence, resembling an oncoming storm, serving as a clear reminder that the community continues to live in terror.
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).Demikianlah Artikel Kwara Church Thanksgiving Turns to Tragedy
Anda sekarang membaca artikel Kwara Church Thanksgiving Turns to Tragedy dengan alamat link https://www.arablionz.pro/2025/11/kwara-church-thanksgiving-turns-to.html
0 Response to "Kwara Church Thanksgiving Turns to Tragedy"
Posting Komentar