Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State has appealed to the Federal Government to urgently deploy additional security personnel to Ekiti Local Government Area following a deadly attack on worshippers that left at least three people dead and several others, including a pastor, abducted.
The governor made the request on Wednesday through a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, expressing the belief that reinforced security presence would help stem the emerging pattern of violent attacks in the affected area.
The appeal comes on the heels of Tuesday evening’s assault on a branch of the Christ Apostolic Church in the Eruku community, where gunmen disrupted a church meeting, opened fire on congregants, and forcibly marched others into the surrounding bush at gunpoint.
The attack occurred at the church located in Oke Isegun, Eruku, catching worshippers off guard during what should have been a peaceful gathering. The brazen nature of the assault, which specifically targeted a religious institution, has sent shockwaves through the community and prompted urgent calls for enhanced security measures.
In his response to the tragedy, Governor AbdulRazaq condemned the violence in strong terms while expressing solidarity with the traumatized community and particularly the families directly affected by the loss of life and abductions.
According to the statement from his office, the governor “has sought immediate deployment of more security operatives to support the existing security architecture in the area. He requested that this new measure be activated immediately.”
The statement further quoted the governor as saying: “The Governor wholly condemns the unconscionable attack, sympathises and identifies with the people of Eruku and environs, especially families and the CAC directly impacted by the condemnable attack of Tuesday.”
AbdulRazaq pledged that his administration would continue providing necessary support to security agencies operating in the state to enable them tackle emerging challenges and ensure the protection of lives and property across Kwara’s territory.
“The state government will continue to support the security agencies to tackle these challenges and ensure safety of lives and properties across the state,” the governor stated, signaling his commitment to working collaboratively with federal security forces.
While addressing the current crisis, the governor also took the opportunity to commend President Bola Tinubu for an earlier deployment of 900 additional troops to Kwara State, noting that the reinforcement has already produced positive results in previously troubled areas.
The statement expressed appreciation for the President’s intervention, stating: “We have indeed seen appreciable calm in many areas previously affected. We sincerely thank the President for this. We are confident that the additional troops will provide further deterrence, overall safety for our people and permanent calm.”
The attack on the Christ Apostolic Church represents a troubling development for Kwara State, which has generally experienced relatively less violent criminal activity compared to some neighboring states in Nigeria’s north-central region that have been heavily affected by banditry and kidnapping.
However, the targeting of a church during a religious gathering echoes similar attacks that have occurred in other parts of the country, raising concerns about whether criminal groups are expanding their operational territories or if local security dynamics in certain areas of Kwara are deteriorating.
The abduction of a pastor along with other worshippers follows a disturbing pattern across Nigeria where religious leaders have increasingly become targets for kidnapping gangs seeking ransom payments from congregations and family members.
At the time of this report, there has been no official confirmation regarding the identities of those killed or abducted, nor have security agencies provided updates on rescue operations that may be underway to locate and free the kidnapped victims.
The Eruku community and surrounding areas are expected to see heightened security activity in coming days as authorities respond to the governor’s request for additional deployment and work to prevent further attacks that could destabilize the local population.
Governor AbdulRazaq’s swift call for federal intervention demonstrates recognition that state-level security resources may be insufficient to address the evolving threat, necessitating the kind of robust military and police presence that only federal deployment can provide.
Whether the Federal Government will respond positively to the request and how quickly any additional forces might arrive in Ekiti Local Government Area remains to be seen, though the governor’s reference to previous successful cooperation with the Tinubu administration suggests optimism that support will be forthcoming.
For the people of Eruku and the broader CAC community, the focus remains on mourning their dead, praying for the safe return of those abducted, and hoping that promised security reinforcements will arrive in time to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.
