Armed Men Invade Kogi Church Service, Abduct Pastor and Worshippers

Armed Men Invade Kogi Church Service, Abduct Pastor and Worshippers.

A Sunday morning church service in Ejiba, Kogi State, was shattered by violence when armed bandits stormed the building, firing gunshots and kidnapping the presiding pastor along with his wife and several members of the congregation.

The attack targeted a newly established Cherubim and Seraphim Church in the Yagba West Local Government Area. According to local reports, the gunmen entered the church during worship, causing immediate panic. Worshippers were forced to run for safety as the sound of gunfire echoed through the area.

Eyewitness accounts say the assailants specifically seized the church pastor, popularly known as Orlando, his wife, and a number of other churchgoers. The exact number of people taken away remains unknown, as community leaders and families work to account for everyone.

“It was sudden and terrifying,” one resident said, describing the scene. “People were running in every direction. We are living in fear now.”

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As of Monday morning, there has been no official comment from the Kogi State Police Command or the state government regarding the incident. The lack of an official statement has added to the anxiety in Ejiba, with locals urging law enforcement to step in quickly.

This brazen attack on a place of worship has deeply troubled the community, which now faces the dual trauma of the abduction and a growing sense of vulnerability. It underscores the worrying security problems that continue in parts of Kogi State, where rural communities feel increasingly exposed to violent crime.

“This is not the first time we are seeing such things happen around here,” another community member stated. “We need the police and the government to do more to protect us. How can we worship in peace if even churches are not safe?”

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The abduction in Ejiba joins a disturbing pattern of violent incidents targeting religious gatherings in Nigeria, raising urgent questions about the security of congregations.

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For now, families and church members are left hoping and praying for the safe return of the pastor, his wife, and all those taken. Their main demand is for authorities to act without delay to find the victims and bring those responsible to justice.

Armed Men Invade Kogi Church Service, Abduct Pastor and Worshippers.