By Ghazali Ibrahim
All 38 worshippers kidnapped during last Tuesday’s armed attack on Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) Oke Isegun in Eruku, Kwara State, have been rescued by a combined team of security operatives.
Church Secretary, Elder Michael Agbabiaka, confirmed the development on Sunday evening, revealing that the Department of State Services (DSS) formally informed the church around 4 p.m. that the abductees had been freed and were undergoing profiling by security agencies.
He added that the entire
community is eagerly awaiting their safe return.
The attack, which claimed the lives of three worshippers, had sparked widespread outrage and renewed fears over escalating insecurity in Kwara’s border towns.
In a statement on Sunday, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, said Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq expressed joy over the successful rescue, describing it as the result of “many days of hard work by all relevant security formations.”
He disclosed that President Bola Tinubu personally intervened in the mission, cancelling his planned travel to the G20 Summit in South Africa to direct additional military and intelligence support to the area.
The governor also thanked the Office of the National Security Adviser, DSS, Nigerian Army, National Intelligence Agency, Police, and local vigilante groups for their commitment to securing the victims’ release.
The rescue operation brings a wave of relief to the Eruku community, which has endured days of tension, grief, and uncertainty following the violent attack.
