Bandits reportedly attacked a branch of Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) at Oke Isegun in the Eruku community on Tuesday evening, killing three people and abducting several worshippers during a service. The incident occurred in Ekiti LGA of Kwara State, a border area close to Kogi State.

A video of the attack, captured during a live stream and reviewed by TheCable, showed worshippers in the middle of a service when gunshots erupted from around the premises. The congregation, led by a young pastor, was seen attempting to flee as the gunfire grew louder before armed men entered the church building. The attack was said to have taken place at about 6pm.

More than five armed bandits reportedly stormed the church, ransacked the building, and took away personal belongings belonging to the worshippers during the raid.

According to a report published by the PUNCH, the attackers shot and killed three worshippers before abducting the pastor and an unspecified number of church members. The newspaper quoted a witness as saying the gunmen invaded the church while the service was ongoing, opened fire on the congregants, and later marched some of them into the bush.

The report also cited comments from a community leader, Benjamin Ayeoribe, who said Eruku had experienced repeated bandit attacks over the past three weeks. He noted that several distress calls to authorities had not resulted in meaningful intervention, adding that residents had been living in persistent fear.

Meanwhile, the Kwara State Police Command said three persons, including a vigilante member, sustained injuries during the attack. The command did not confirm the number of people killed or abducted.

In a statement issued by Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, the police spokesperson in the state, security operatives and vigilantes responded to what she described as “an attempted bandit attack in Eruku”. She explained that the bandits fled into the bush following the intervention of the police and local security volunteers.

Ejire-Adeyemi said “one male victim Mr Aderemi was discovered fatally shot inside the Christ Apostolic Church, Oke Isegun; while one Mr Tunde Asaba Ajayi another victim of fatal gunshot was found in the bush, a vigilante, Segun Alaja sustained gunshot injuries and was immediately rushed to ECWA Hospital, Eruku, for medical treatment”.

She also quoted Adekimi Ojo, the commissioner of police in Kwara, as commending the “siwift response of the police and vigilantes”, adding that “he also assures the public that security agencies will not relent until these hoodlums are totally decimated.”

The incident occurred less than 48 hours after bandits attacked Government Girls Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State and abducted 25 schoolgirls.

President Bola Tinubu has confirmed the death of Brigadier General Musa Uba, who was killed while on active duty during an operation against insurgents in Borno State. According to reports, Uba died after Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters ambushed a convoy transporting soldiers and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) in the state.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by Bayo Onanuga, the president’s special adviser on information and strategy, Tinubu expressed deep sorrow over the loss of the senior officer and others who were killed in the attack. He extended condolences to their families and to the Nigerian military.

Tinubu also addressed the abduction of 25 schoolgirls from Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School (GGCSS) Maga in Danko/Wasagu LGA of Kebbi State, noting that the kidnapping occurred despite prior “intelligence warnings” about an impending bandit attack.

The president commended the efforts of Kebbi State Governor Mohammed Idris, saying the state government made attempts to avert the incident. He directed Vice-President Kashim Shettima to travel to Kebbi to meet with state authorities, parents, and guardians of the abducted students, assuring them that the federal government is committed to securing the girls’ swift release.

Decrying the security breach that enabled the abduction, Tinubu urged communities, especially those in vulnerable areas, to provide timely information to security agencies. He stressed that intelligence-sharing with the military, police, and the Department of State Services (DSS) is essential to preventing further attacks.

“As Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, I am deeply saddened by the tragic deaths of our soldiers and officers on active duty. May God comfort the families of Brigadier General Musa Uba and other fallen heroes,” Tinubu said.

“It is heartbreaking that terrorists have disrupted the education of innocent schoolgirls. I have directed security agencies to act swiftly to bring the girls back to Kebbi State.”

The president appealed to community leaders and residents in conflict-prone regions to support ongoing security operations with credible information, emphasising that “Your cooperation is crucial in our fight against these security challenges.”

One of the 25 students abducted from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State, has escaped and returned home, according to confirmation from school officials on Tuesday.

The school principal, Musa Rabi Magaji, told the Associated Press that the student managed to break free “within minutes” of the attack. He added that another schoolgirl, who was not among the abducted group, also made her way back safely.

Magaji said, “One is part of the 25 abducted, and the other one returned earlier. They are safe and sound.”

Authorities had earlier reported that bandits killed the school’s vice principal, Malam Hassan Yakubu Makuku, during the attack. Several bodies were also found on the school premises following the raid, which occurred in the early hours of Sunday and triggered panic and grief across the Maga community.

Responding to the incident, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reaffirmed that protecting Nigerian children remains “a solemn duty of the State.” Idris condemned the attack as a “reprehensible assault on innocent students” and criticised the killing of school officials performing their lawful duties.

He said security and intelligence agencies have been directed to immediately trace and rescue the abducted students, insisting that those responsible “must face the full weight of the law.”

The minister added that the Federal Government is strengthening internal security by boosting military, policing, and intelligence operations, while also deepening regional cooperation with ECOWAS, the African Union, and the Multinational Joint Task Force to dismantle terrorist and criminal networks across West and Central Africa.

In a separate effort, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, ordered troops under Operation FANSAN YANMA to intensify search-and-rescue operations. During his visit to Kebbi on Monday, he instructed soldiers to maintain round-the-clock missions until all abducted students are safely recovered.