Fresh details have emerged on how bandits abducted over 30 persons in the attack on the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Oke Isegun in Eruku, Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State. This is just as the Kebbi State government released the names of the girls kidnapped from the Government Comprehensive Girls Secondary School in Maga, Danko Wasagu Local Government Area, on Monday, November 17, 2025.
The Kwara attack, which happened around 6:00pm on Tuesday, led to the death of three persons, Daily Trust gathered.
The pastor of the church, Lawrence Bamidele, while addressing journalists said over 30 persons were kidnapped. He said the service was actually a thanksgiving for 18 persons who were kidnapped about two weeks ago and freed.
In a video which went viral on social media, the worshippers had gathered for a service which was being streamed live, when gunshots rented the air.
Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn
Some of the worshippers took cover behind the chairs in the church but the attackers who fired bullets from outside, later gained entry.
One of the attackers was seen carrying the bags of worshippers. At least two of the gunmen masked their identities while another was seen with a flashlight.
Speaking with Daily Trust on Wednesday from Eruku, the Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, confirmed that the death toll had risen to three. He said the police were yet to get the exact number of the abductees, but added that families were being contacted while local leaders were conducting a head count.
According to him, the police had designed a method to compile an accurate list by coordinating directly with households that reported missing family members.
He said the move became necessary due to conflicting figures from residents.
"Three people had been confirmed dead. Two of the victims died immediately at the scene when the bandits opened fire inside the church during an evening programme. A third victim, who was evacuated to the hospital, later died on Wednesday afternoon," Ojo said.
He clarified that contrary to earlier speculations, no pastor was killed. He said the resident pastor of the church, Mr Bamidele, was the person who spoke to the police team at the scene and assisted in rushing one of the victims to the hospital.
The commissioner added that no arrest had been made as of Wednesday afternoon.
He said a combined team of police operatives, local vigilantes and intelligence units were already inside the surrounding bushes tracking the escape route of the attackers.
He confirmed that security presence had been intensified across Eruku and neighbouring communities due to repeated incidents in the area in recent weeks.
However, chairman of the Eruku Progressive Union, Elder Sola Daniel, said, "twenty-seven people were taken by the bandits during the attack."
He said the "community had compiled the names of all abductees. The complete list is not with me now but the union has documented every missing person."
Elder Daniel said the people of Eruku felt exposed due to the frequency of attacks.
He said the community had resolved to carry out a peaceful protest to the Government House in Ilorin on Thursday to appeal directly to the governor.
He said the objective of the protest was to demand a more permanent security arrangement and a thorough investigation into the repeated crimes in the area.
The Chairman of Ekiti Local Government, Awelewa Olawale, who also confirmed the death of the third victim, said his vigilante team arrived in Eruku immediately after the incident to join forces with the local vigilante network.
He said the "bandits shot two people dead inside the church and injured a third person who was transported to the hospital. The victim later died in the hospital."
He said the vigilante teams from both the local government and Eruku community entered the bush early in the morning to pursue the attackers.
According to him, the operation was ongoing and the teams were still inside the forest at the time he spoke.
The chairman said the Commissioner of Police, the Director of the Department of State Services and other senior security officials were already in Eruku monitoring developments.
He said Eruku had been under repeated attacks because of its location close to the state boundary.
He added that the area had been exposed to movements from neighbouring forests and that residents had lived under tension for weeks before the latest incident.
Meanwhile, youths in Eruku on Wednesday barricaded the Ilorin-Kabba highway in protest over the attacked on the community, accusing security agencies of abandoning residents during assault.
Following the incident, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has requested that more and urgent security deployment be made to Ekiti Local Government Area, especially Eruku axis, to immediately curtail the new wave of attacks in the area.
"The governor has sought immediate deployment of more security operatives to support the existing security architecture in the area," according to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Rafiu Ajakaye.
"He requested that this new measure be activated immediately. 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.
"The state government will continue to support the security agencies to tackle these challenges and ensure safety of lives and properties across the state," he said.
The governor, similarly, commended President Bola Tinubu for the deployment of 900 additional troops in Kwara, saying this is expected to strengthen security in the state.
"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 statement added.
The former Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has also condemned the attack, describing it as a shocking and deeply distressing incident.
Saraki, in a statement on Wednesday, via his social media handle, said he received the news of the attack with great concern.
"I sympathise with all the victims and their relatives. I pray for Allah's healing, restoration and strength at this difficult time," he said.
Saraki urged the federal government and the heads of security agencies to swiftly secure the release of those abducted and strengthen security across the state.
He further emphasised the need for a robust, long-term security arrangement for the state, given its strategic national position.
"The state is one of the gateways into the country and a link between the southern and northern parts. This makes it deserving of a special security arrangement that will not jeopardise our national interest and internal peace," Saraki added.
The Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, in a statement issued on Wednesday by his Press Secretary, Dr. Abdulazeez Arowona, expressed concern over the incident stressing that, "It is most unfortunate, condemnable and worrisome."
He said he was saddened by the fact that the incident occurred when governments at all levels were making concerted efforts towards getting the nation rid of banditry, terrorism and other felonious acts.
The emir appealed to security agencies to intensify efforts by mobilising forces for the safe return of all the kidnapped victims even as he mourned those who were killed during the attack.
A retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, Adisa Bolanta, urged the government to provide a stronger security presence, pointing out that the existing police post and military station are insufficient and overstretched.
He appealed for more personnel, logistics and effective monitoring because bandits often mix with locals and sometimes strangers are noticed but not reported.
"The community needs a strengthened vigilante framework coordinated with the police and the involvement of traditional institutions and grassroots structures such as village heads, mogaji and alangua is also very important," he said.
Kebbi govt releases names of abducted schoolgirls
In a related development, the Kebbi State government has released the names of schoolgirls abducted on Monday from the Government Comprehensive Girls Secondary School in Maga, Danko Wasagu Local Government Area. The chairman of the local government area, Hussain Aliyu, on Wednesday, debunked an American lawmaker, Riley Moore's claim that the children abducted are Christians.
While releasing the names, he said no part of the local government area is known for religious crisis and that the people have always lived in peace and harmony until the recent incident.
"For the benefit of doubt, these are the names of the girls that were taken by the bandits from the Government Comprehensive Girls Secondary School in Maga.
Those in Senior Secondary School 2A are:
- Fatima Sani Zimri
- Hafsat Ibrahim
- Nana Firdausi Jibril
- Masauda Yakubu
Senior Secondary School 2B
- Hauwa Saleh
- Hauwau Umar Imam
Senior Secondary School 3A & 3B
- Salima Garba Umar
- Salima Sani Zimri
- Amina G. Umar
- Rashida Muhammad Dingu
- Saliha Umar
- Aisha Usman
- Jamila Iliyasu
- Maryam Illiyasu
- Najaatu Abdullahi
- Zainab Kolo
Junior Secondary School 3A
- Surraya Tukur
- Hafsat Umar Yalmo
- Maryam Usman
- Amina Illiyasu
- Ikilima Suleman
Junior Secondary School 2
- Khadija Nazifi
- Hauwa'u Iliyasu
- Hauwa'u Lawali
- Ummu Kulsum Abdulkarim
Meanwhile, Vice- President Kashim Shettima on Wednesday visited Kebbi State, over the abduction. He conveyed the message of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, assuring the parents, government and people of the state of his commitment to rescue the students.
He said the state government would not be left alone in the moment of this crisis.
"I am here on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on this current burden shaking the nation. When one child is taken, every home in this nation grieves. When girls are abducted from their classrooms, seized by criminals, our collective conscience is assaulted. Mr. President is deeply troubled by this tragedy. Our priority is singular; our daughters must return home safely.
"On behalf of the president, I assure you that the government will not relent. We will use all instruments of the state to bring these girls back and to ensure that the perpetrators of this wickedness are brought to justice," he said.
In his response, Governor Nasir Idris said the state government is doing its best to support the security agents in their search for the school girls. He added that government has also directed the clerics to embark on prayers for the safe return of the abducted girls.
Also, the League of Chief Imams in Kebbi State has directed all chief imams of Juma'at mosques to embark on daily prayers for God's divine intervention in the matter.
The Chairman of the League, Alhaji Suleiman Muhammad Tanko, who is also the Chief Imam of Zuru Juma'at Central Mosque, said the special prayer has become necessary in view of the unpredictable condition the girls may been subjected to by the bandits. In his letter to the chief imams, he requested them to organise the special prayer in addition to the normal prayers with the hope that Allah (SWT) will divinely intervene in ensuring the success of the combined team of security agents deployed to rescue the girls.
Bandits kill 37 people, abduct 133 others in 3 northern states
Bandits have killed at least 37 people and abducted 133 others in the last 19 days across three northern states: Niger, Sokoto, and Zamfara.
Daily Trust's findings, based on incidents reported in major national dailies, revealed that 19 people were killed in Niger State, while eight others were injured during separate attacks launched by bandits on communities.
On November 13, 13 vigilante members were killed following the abduction of 20 worshippers in a mosque at Magama Village. Also, on November 9, three vigilante members lost their lives while 22 others were abducted during another attack on Dutsen Magaji Village in Mashegu Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State.
Six soldiers also died in the convoy of a member of the House of Representatives, Mohammed Ali Damisa, on November 4, in an ambush by bandits.
Attacks in Sokoto and Zamfara
In Sokoto State, bandits killed 12 people. These include the killing of five people in Bargaja Village, Isa LGA, on November 9, during which nine women were also abducted. Four people were injured during the attack.
On November 10, members of the Lakurawa terror group killed a pregnant woman and four others in Alkalije Village, Kigori District of Silame LGA. Similarly, on November 18, bandits attacked the Kabunga Community of Kware LGA, killing a former councillor, Alhaji Yahaya Bawa Rumus, and another community member.
In Zamfara State, on November 15, bandits killed Umaru Moriki, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and two others, injuring four people in an attack along the Gusau-Tsafe Road.
On the same day, bandits kidnapped 64 people in Fegin Baza Village and another woman and her son in the Bulunku Area of Gusau, Gusau LGA. On November 6, bandits also abducted 16 people in Sabo Village, Murai Ward of Talata Marafa LGA.
Tinubu postpones trip to South Africa, Angola summits over insecurity
President Tinubu yesterday postponed his scheduled trip to Johannesburg, South Africa and Luanda, Angola, over the insecurity situation in the country.
This was disclosed by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy on Wednesday.
President Tinubu was scheduled to leave Abuja yesterday to attend the 20th G20 Summit of leaders in South Africa and thereafter proceed to Luanda to attend the 7th AU-EU Summit.
The statement said the president will await reports from Vice President Kashim Shettima, who paid a visit to Kebbi on his behalf, as well as reports from the police and the Department of State Services regarding the attack in Kwara.
Also, the federal government yesterday rejected attempts in some quarters to frame Nigeria's security challenges through a religious lens, warning that such "divisive and narrow rhetoric" threatens national cohesion.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said at a news conference that the federal government was committed to tackling terrorism in the country headlong.
Idris said that terrorism, banditry, and other violent crimes affecting the nation cut across ethnic and religious lines; therefore, they should not be misrepresented as sectarian.
Idris said that such claims were not only factually inaccurate but also dangerously counterproductive to the national unity required to overcome the shared challenges.
"The position of the federal government of Nigeria remains unequivocal: Nigeria is a multi-faith nation where the freedom of worship is constitutionally guaranteed and must be upheld by everyone," he said.
The minister further said that at this critical time, it was imperative for all Nigerians to be united.
Nigeria has not learnt anything
--Security expert
A security expert, Dr. Stephen Okwori, has faulted Nigeria's repeated failure to learn from more than a decade of school abductions, saying the country continues to rely on reactive measures instead of building a functional preventive security system for schools.
He stated this while reacting to the recent kidnapping of students in Kebbi and the attack in Kwara State, noting that "from 2014 to date, over 1,680 children have been abducted from schools in Borno, Yobe, Niger, Katsina, Zamfara, and elsewhere."
According to him, the frequency of attacks shows that little has changed since the abduction of Chibok schoolgirls in 2014. "It is unfortunate that in Nigeria, we don't learn lessons. We have an 11-year history of school kidnappings, yet the reality still stares us in the face," he said.
Dr. Okwori criticised Nigeria's approach, describing it as "top-to-bottom and reactionary," explaining that security agencies often move only after an attack. "When it happens, that is when the police go to the scene and the military go to the scene. We should be looking at prevention, not waiting for the crime before acting," he said.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
He also faulted the police response during the Kebbi incident and expressed concern that the military now performs duties meant for the police.
"The police have become lazy because the military has taken over their mandate. I haven't seen the IGP visit Kebbi, but the Chief of Army Staff has gone there," he added.
The expert stressed that most school abductions take place in rural communities with almost no security presence, giving kidnappers the advantage of using vast forests as hideouts. Beyond the abduction itself, he said the major tragedy is the lifelong trauma inflicted on children. "Even after release, the trauma stays with them for life," he warned.
Dr. Okwori urged the government to fully implement the Forest Guard initiative, describing it as the most realistic local solution if properly executed.
He recommended that the guards be recruited from their home communities, fully trained, and equipped with sophisticated weapons, not "batons or sticks," since they are expected to act as first responders. "These criminals come heavily armed. You don't confront them with a bow and arrow. Forest guards must be well-equipped and must know the terrain better than the attackers," he said.
He also emphasised the need for stronger collaboration among security agencies, traditional rulers, religious leaders, and local communities, saying insecurity must be addressed "from the bottom up."
On technology, he cited the U.S. Navy SEAL operation that rescued an American kidnapped in Nigeria without firing a shot. "Technology is critical. With the right tools, suspects can be tracked, located, and overwhelmed before harm is done," he said.
Dr. Okwori also stressed the importance of acting on intelligence, noting that prior warnings were reportedly ignored before the recent Kebbi school abduction. "Once intelligence is not utilised, that is an intelligence failure," he said.
Bukarti speaks on way forward
Security analyst, Bulama Bukarti, has urged President Bola Tinubu to take immediate and radical measures to stabilise the country, warning that Nigeria will remain unsafe if decisive action is not taken.
Bukarti gave the warning on Wednesday during an interview on Channels Television, where he reacted to the recent attacks in Kwara, Kaduna and Borno states. He said the incidents, which involved the killing of worshippers, the abduction of 23 students and the death of a Brigadier General alongside soldiers and civilian JTF members, reflect the "hydra-headed" nature of insecurity in Nigeria.
He noted that the three attacks, which happened across long distances within days, show that no part of the country is safe. He added that the abductions have become a disturbing pattern, saying Nigeria has recorded 12 mass school kidnappings involving over 1,600 students since 2014.
"There is nowhere in history where terrorists walk into a school and leave with the entire student body, but this is happening in Nigeria repeatedly," he said.
Bukarti explained that the problem is not the absence of intelligence but the failure of security agencies to respond quickly. He added that poor mobility, limited personnel and slow reinforcement make communities vulnerable.
He also criticised foreign commentators such as Donald Trump and Nicki Minaj, saying their comments were misleading and insensitive. "We are losing our lives and they are using the situation for political rhetoric and entertainment," he said.
Bukarti noted that both Christians and Muslims were victims of the recent attacks, stressing that the country's enemies were not targeting any religion but Nigeria itself. He added that unity was crucial to confronting the threat.
On the way forward, Bukarti outlined five urgent steps the president must take to restore security.
He recommended deploying all service chiefs permanently to operational areas until the situation improves. He added that the president should establish a weekly presidential committee on insecurity, bring governors and security chiefs under a unified national policy, declare a state of emergency on porous borders, and order all commissioned officers out of barracks to join operations in the field.
"These measures are necessary if we are to get a grip on this situation," he added.
