38 Kidnapped Kwara Church Victims Freed As Worship Resumes

THE 38 members of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Oke-Isegun, Eruku, in Ekiti Local Council of Kwara State, who were recently kidnapped, have been freed after five days in captivity.
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who announced this in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaiye, on Sunday, November 23, attributed their release to the efforts of President Bola Tinubu and other security agencies.
He did not, however, disclose how and where the victims was released or rescued, biut noted: “After many days of hard work by security forces and government representatives, AbdulRazaq is excited to announce the freedom of 38 persons.
“The governor says this is wholly due to the hands-on approach of President Bola Tinubu, who has personally led the efforts to free the abductees.
“The abductees were freed today, November 23. The governor is immensely grateful to President Bola Tinubu for his direct initiative that made this happen.
“The President had called off his scheduled trip for the G20 Meeting in South Africa to attend to the breaches in Kwara and Kebbi states. He had also directed heightened security deployments to Kwara, which underlined his firm commitment to the safety and well-being of our people and Nigerians as a whole.
“The governor also expresses appreciation to the Office of the National Security Adviser; Department of State Services (DSS); Nigerian Army; Nigerian Intelligence Agency; and, of course, the Nigeria Police, which has graciously deployed four new tactical teams to Kwara State on the directive of the President.
“The governor also thanks members of the security forces across board, thought leaders, religious institutions and all Kwarans for their support and goodwill since the unfortunate incident.”
Meanwhile, the church held its first service sonce the attack on Sunday, November 23, just as news of the release of the kidnap victims filtered in.
Eyewitnesses reported that the attackers hid in trees for hours before launching the raid, suggesting a planned operation. Security forces and local vigilantes responded quickly, but the assailants fled into the forest.
Relatives of the victims had earlier received ransom demands of N100million per person, totaling roughly N3.8billion.
The presiding Pastor, Bamidele Lawrence, described the attack as a test of faith, enthusing that he received divine assurances regarding their safety.
‎The service was dominated by prayers for the release of the victims and the repose of the deceased. Lawrence said despite fear and trauma, church leaders encouraged members to attend the service as a show of faith and resilience.
‎ “As you can see, only a few people are present, but we thank God for life and for strengthening us.
“We also appreciate the government for deploying security operatives who are now patrolling the town and the church.”
‎ Earlier in his sermon, Lawrence described the incident as a test of faith and revealed that he received divine assurances regarding the safety of the kidnapped.
‎ He told the congregation that God promised that the abducted worshippers would return alive, likening their situation to the biblical trials of the Israelites.
A heavy deployment of security operatives across Eruku, including soldiers, Special Tactical Squad from Force Headquarters, SWAT, Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Kwara Police Command and local vigilantes were observed.