By Peace Udugba
Suspected hoodlums have abducted several clerics, their wives, children and other residents during an attack on a community, throwing the area into panic.
According to sources, the assailants stormed the community and forcefully took away multiple victims, including church leaders and members of their families.
Although the exact number of those kidnapped remains unclear, a source told Sunday PUNCH that no fewer than 20 persons were abducted during the incident. The attackers were said to have escaped through Abewo Road, heading towards Kwara State.
Efforts by journalists to reach the state Police Public Relations Officer, Afusat Saliu, on Saturday were unsuccessful, as calls and messages to her phone were not returned. However, Saliu had earlier confirmed the incident to TVC News, stating that security operatives had been deployed to the affected area.
She added that coordinated efforts were ongoing to rescue the victims and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in the state, Apostle Olaniyan Adebayo, revealed that the Department of State Services had issued an intelligence alert prior to the attack.
Adebayo explained that the warning prompted swift action to notify churches in vulnerable locations.
“The DSS called me and asked me to inform churches in those areas based on the intelligence they had. We alerted all the churches on Wednesday and Thursday through their coordinators in the local government,” he said.
He noted that the early warning helped ensure that some church leaders and members were aware of the looming threat and took precautionary measures.
The Redeemed Christian Church of God declined to comment when contacted, while a senior official, who claimed he was initially unaware of the incident, said the matter had been escalated to the appropriate authorities for necessary action.
Security agencies are continuing search-and-rescue operations as residents remain on edge following the attack.
