From Taiye Joseph, Ilorin
Residents of Omogo community in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, were thrown into panic on Sunday as armed bandits stormed ECWA Church during a morning service, abducting eight worshippers and assaulting several others, including a 90-year-old visually impaired woman.
Afariogun Steven, an eyewitness who first spotted the attackers, described the sudden terror that erupted. “Glory be to God that I am alive today. Around 10 minutes to 10am, as we were worshipping, I saw some people coming from the burial ground area wearing masks and green and blue tops. One of them was running and others followed. As they got closer, I shouted, ‘Bandits are coming, run!’ That was how I ran out and some people followed me,” he recounted.
Steven said the attackers opened fire sporadically as worshippers scattered. “As I ran, they were shooting, maybe thinking I would stop, but we did not stop. Some escaped through the backyard into the bush, while others ran as far as Oola,” he said.
Pastor Omole Timothy, who was leading the service when the bandits struck, confirmed the chaos. “I was leading the programme when a member alerted us that they were approaching the church. Immediately, I told everyone to run and people scattered. I escaped through the back door, jumped the fence and entered the bush with some members. Some hid in rooms and the pastor’s office. We thank God they couldn’t get there,” he said.
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Among those abducted was the pastor’s wife, Remilekun Omole, alongside Chief David Afolayan, Chief Joseph Ibitoye Afariogun, Mr Joshua Adeyemi Jogo, Mrs Rachel Omopariola, Mrs Mosúnmọ́lá Afolayan, Mrs Bukola Sunday, and Mrs Anti, also known as Mama Gbeke. The pastor said some victims were later abandoned due to their frailty. “My wife was among 11 people initially taken before they were released. A child and two elderly women were abandoned because they could not keep up after being beaten,” he explained.
One of the elderly victims, Rachel Ifabiyi, who is visually impaired, narrated her ordeal: “They ordered us out and directed us to the bush. I fell on the way and they beat me with a stick. My clothes and shoes fell off. They said I was not walking fast. I told them I could not see well, and that was when they left me.” Another victim, Alice Afariogun, who is a stroke patient, said she was hit with a gun. “As I stood up, they dragged me out and hit my arm with their gun. When I shouted, they hit me again,” she said.
Steven expressed frustration over the delayed security response. “They called the police at Oro-Ago, but before they arrived, it was around 10:40am, even though the distance is about six kilometres. Those kidnapped were mostly women who were not strong enough to run. They didn’t want to leave empty-handed, so they forced them to go,” he alleged.
Pastor Omole appealed to the government for urgent help. “We have not heard anything from them. I have not been able to sleep, and my children have been crying. We are pleading with the government to help us. This is beyond what we can handle,” he said.
Local vigilante commander, Akeem Ibrahim, attributed the vulnerability to inadequate weapons. “The pump-action guns we have cannot face these bandits. If we are empowered with better weapons, we can defend our community,” he said, while the community’s traditional ruler, Oba David Ajiboye Oseyemi, called for immediate government intervention. “We have tried our best, but we lack the weapons to confront them. The government should come to our aid,” he said.
As at this report, the abducted worshippers remain in captivity, with families and residents pleading for swift action to secure their release.
