By Adegbaju Temitope
Eruku, a community in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, was thrown into chaos on Tuesday, when about 20 bandits launched a deadly assault on the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) in the outskirts of the town.
The gunmen, who stormed the church around 6pm during an evening service, opened fire indiscriminately, killing at least five worshippers before abducting several others and escaping into the surrounding forests.
Residents reported that the sporadic gunshots, which echoed across the town for more than an hour, forced people to flee their homes in panic.
Travellers abandoned their vehicles on major routes, while families scattered into nearby bushes to escape the invading gunmen.
Eyewitnesses said the prolonged exchange of gunfire created widespread fear that the attackers were advancing to other parts of the community.
Eruku, home to Kwara State’s largest yam market and a melting pot of diverse ethnic groups including Fulanis, Igalas, Beriberis and Nupes, has been repeatedly targeted by armed criminals in recent years.
Locals believe that the presence of large numbers of non-indigenes may have made the community vulnerable to infiltration by informants working with bandits.
The town has previously suffered two similar attacks in which vigilantes and local hunters reportedly rescued about 40 stolen cows and 18 kidnapped passengers travelling from a wedding; one person died during the rescue operation.
Religious institutions have not been spared either, the Benedictine Monastery in Eruku was attacked in an earlier incident that claimed lives.
Continuous appeals to state and local authorities for reinforced security have yielded little result, leaving other nearby communities such as Obbo Ile, Obbo Aiyegunle, Osi and Isapa similarly exposed to persistent bandit incursions.
In a strong reaction on Wednesday, the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Kwara State Chapter, condemned the latest attack, describing it as “barbaric” and a direct violation of constitutionally guaranteed rights to life, dignity and freedom of worship.
The group said the assault marked another disturbing escalation in the wave of violent crimes that have plagued the Eruku–Egbe, Osi–Obbo and Obbo–Aiyegunle corridors, where kidnappings, armed robbery and attacks on travellers have become frequent.
Over the past two years, missionary buses, commercial vehicles and private commuters have been ambushed along the Eruku–Obbo Ile and Egbe–Koro routes, forcing many farmers to abandon their farmlands due to threats from armed herders and criminal gangs.
Security agencies have conducted several rescue operations following mass abductions in the area, but the overall security situation has continued to deteriorate.
Describing the crisis as a “state of emergency on public safety,” the CDHR called on the Federal Government, Kwara State Government under Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, and all security agencies to take decisive action.
The group demanded a coordinated security operation involving the Police, Army, DSS, NSCDC and local vigilante groups to clear criminal hideouts in forests bordering Kogi State; the establishment of a permanent military or mobile police base along the Eruku–Obbo–Egbe axis; and an immediate, thorough investigation into the church attack.
The CDHR also urged the government to ensure the swift rescue of abducted victims, provide support to the families of the slain worshippers, strengthen border security along the Kwara–Kogi corridor, and deepen engagement with traditional rulers, youth groups and religious bodies to develop a community-driven security framework.
Warning that further inaction could embolden criminal groups and cripple economic activities, CDHR Publicity Secretary, Taofik Adekunle Jimoh, said: “The government’s primary responsibility is the protection of life and property. Any further delay in responding to this crisis will be a grave dereliction of that constitutional duty. Kwara must not be allowed to slip into a state of unchecked terror.”
He assured residents of Eruku and surrounding communities that activists would intensify efforts to demand justice, safety and accountability.
