The Kwara State Police Command has confirmed the killing of three worshippers and the abduction of 15 others after armed attackers invaded a prayer ground in Ekiti Local Government Area of the state.
The attack occurred late Saturday at Ori-Oke Ajaiye, a remote prayer site located near Ikiran Village in the Ikerin/Ajuba axis, causing panic among residents of nearby communities.
According to local sources, the gunmen stormed the area during a night vigil, shooting sporadically before escaping through surrounding forest paths with several worshippers.
Residents said confusion and fear spread across the community as people fled in different directions during the attack. Some families reportedly spent the night searching for missing relatives.
A resident, who spoke anonymously for security reasons, said many victims could not be accounted for until the following morning.
Confirming the incident on Sunday in Ilorin, the spokesperson for the Kwara State Police Command, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, described the assault as “gruesome and condemnable.”
The statement explained that the attack was reported by Pastor Adebayo Abiodun of Ijo Ajaye Ati Igbala, Ekerin Village, who was leading a night vigil when the assailants struck.
The Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, said the gunmen invaded the prayer ground and opened fire on worshippers, killing three people and abducting 15 others to an unknown location.
Following the distress call, operatives from the Ekiti Division were immediately deployed to the scene.
The police commissioner disclosed that a coordinated rescue operation involving tactical teams, intelligence units, PMF personnel, and the Police Drone Team had been launched to rescue the abducted victims and track down the attackers.
He assured residents that security agencies were intensifying bush combing, surveillance, and intelligence gathering across the affected areas to restore calm and bring the perpetrators to justice.
The police command also urged members of the public to remain calm and provide credible information that could assist ongoing rescue efforts.
The latest incident adds to a series of attacks on worship centres in Kwara South. In November 2025, gunmen attacked a Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Ekiti LGA, killing three worshippers and abducting 38 others, who were later rescued during a security operation.
Similarly, in March 2026, armed men attacked an ECWA church in Omugo, Ifelodun LGA, abducting 11 worshippers. Although three
