Security agencies say one of the church attackers was killed during a successful rescue operation.

Gunmen stormed a Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) parish in Abule-Ori, Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun, killing the pastor and abducting seven members of the church.

The Commander of Ogun State So-Safe Corps, Soji Ganzallo, confirmed the incident to journalists in Abeokuta on Sunday.

Mr Ganzallo explained that officials of the corps, however, rescued the seven church members and killed one of the kidnappers during a rescue operation.

According to a statement made available to journalists by the So-Safe Director of Information and Public Relations, Moruf Yusuf, Mr Ganzallo was reported as saying that the incident occurred at about 12:00 midnight on Saturday.

"The Owode-Egba Zonal Command of the corps, under Jimoh Omoniyi, received a distress call that some members of the RCCG, Desires of Nations Parish, under Ogun Province 22, Abule-Ori in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area were attacked during a vigil.

"That seven members of the church were kidnapped and the pastor killed.

"Officers of the Corps were charged to go after the suspects to rescue the victims unhurt and the officers swung into action immediately," he said.

Mr Ganzallo disclosed that the seven victims were rescued unhurt, while one of the kidnappers was killed, saying many of the suspects sustained serious injuries during a fire exchange.

He said that a joint team of the police and the So-Safe Corps were already after the fleeing kidnappers to capture them alive.

The commander said that the body of the dead kidnapper had been deposited in a nearby morgue.

(NAN)