Gunmen suspected to be bandits abducted eight worshippers during a Sunday morning service at an Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) facility in Omugo, located within the Oro-Ago community of Ifelodun Local Government Area, Kwara State.
The attack occurred despite a prior security alert issued by the Coordinator of the Joint Security Watch for Kwara South Senatorial District, Zubair Olaitan. The warning had placed security councils in Ifelodun, Irepodun, and Isin Local Government Areas on high alert regarding potential incursions into local communities.
Following the abduction, a combined team of security forces, including forest guards and local vigilantes, launched an immediate pursuit of the perpetrators. Information gathered from the rescue operation confirms that three of the eight abductees have been successfully recovered from the kidnappers.
The Kwara State Government has formally condemned the assault, describing the targeting of religious institutions as a cowardly act. In a statement released on Sunday by the Commissioner for Communications, Bolanle Olukoju, the administration tasked security agencies to intensify the ongoing manhunt to ensure the safe return of the remaining five victims.
The government statement also commended the rapid coordination between formal security personnel and community-based organizations, noting that the collective effort in combing the surrounding forests has been instrumental in curtailing criminal activities in the axis.
Residents of the Ifelodun area have been urged to remain vigilant and cooperate with the forest guards and local vigilantes currently patrolling the region. The state authorities reaffirmed their commitment to providing the necessary logistics and support to security agencies to eliminate the threat of banditry and kidnapping within the state’s borders.
As of Sunday evening, security cordons remain in place around the Oro-Ago axis. While the identity of the abductors has not been officially confirmed, tactical teams are reportedly following actionable intelligence to locate the transient camp of the criminal elements.
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