By Oyinkansayo Wole-Bodunde.
At about 6 p.m. on Sunday, gunmen attacked the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) in Eruku, Kwara State.
The attack happened during an evening worship service. Witnesses said that the attackers arrived on motorbikes and spoke in Fulfulde. They also said that the attackers shot their rifles without directly aiming at anyone.
The attack left three worshippers dead. Two were killed inside the church and several others sustained injuries. This includes vigilante Segun Alaja, who was rushed to ECWA Hospital.
The attackers gathered the pastor and between 15 and 30 people, and took them into the surrounding bush.
A livestream of the service captured the gunfire, and the footage went viral, leading to outrage across Nigeria.
Kwara Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq visited Eruku and condemned the violence. He ordered additional troops and forest guards to the area. President Bola Tinubu postponed foreign trips to South Africa and Angola and directed the military and police to do everything possible to rescue the victims.
Joint teams of police, DSS, and local vigilantes started a search operation in the bush, tracking escape routes.
Community youths blocked the Kwara–Kogi highway on Wednesday, demanding stronger protection and accusing security forces of delayed response.
