President Bola Tinubu has announced that all 38 worshippers kidnapped in Eruku, Kwara State, have been safely rescued.
The President made the disclosure in a statement shared on X by his Special Assistant on Social Media, Olusegun Dada, on Sunday.
Tinubu also confirmed that 51 pupils earlier abducted in Niger State have been recovered.
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“Thanks to the efforts of our security forces over the last few days, all the 38 worshippers abducted in Eruku, Kwara State have been rescued,” the president said.
“I am equally happy that 51 out of the missing students of the Catholic School in Niger State, have been recovered.”
The Kwara State Government has also confirmed that all 38 worshippers abducted from the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Eruku, have regained freedom, days after gunmen stormed the parish and killed three people during a service.
In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq announced that the victims were released on Sunday, noting that “after many days of hard work by security forces and government representatives, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq is excited to announce the freedom of 38 persons who were recently abducted in an attack on Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) Eruku, Ekiti LGA, Kwara State.”
The government did not disclose the circumstances surrounding the rescue.
According to the statement, the success of the operation was largely due to the “hands-on approach” of President Bola Tinubu, who “personally led the efforts” to secure the release of the victims. It added that the President had suspended his planned trip to the G20 Meeting in South Africa to address security breaches in Kwara and Kebbi states, and ordered “heightened security deployments to Kwara.”
The governor expressed gratitude to the President, stating, “The governor is immensely grateful to President Bola Tinubu for his direct initiative that made this happen.” He also acknowledged the roles played by the Office of the National Security Adviser, the DSS, the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Intelligence Agency, and the Nigeria Police.
“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,” the statement added.
The attack, which occurred last Tuesday, saw heavily armed gunmen invade the parish, abducting 38 worshippers and killing three others. Residents recounted how the attackers arrived “suddenly and heavily armed,” forcing many locals to flee into surrounding bushes.
“They came around nightfall and started shooting. Two people were killed instantly, and we don’t even know how many were taken,” one resident said.
The attackers initially demanded ₦3 billion for the release of the captives before reducing the ransom to ₦760 million. The incident triggered protests by youths, who blocked the Ilorin–Kabba highway, accusing security operatives of failing to respond during the one-hour attack.
In reaction to this and other attacks, President Tinubu postponed scheduled trips to Johannesburg and Luanda while awaiting security briefings on the kidnapped Kebbi schoolgirls and the church incident. He subsequently directed security agencies to pursue the perpetrators.
