Kidnappers k!ll ECWA member, ∆bduct wife, four others

Kidnappers kill ECWA member, abduct wife, four others

 

The Evangelical Church Winning All in Kwara State has raised concern over what it described as a worsening wave of kidnappings and killings across communities in the Kwara South Senatorial District, urging authorities to take urgent steps to restore security.

The church’s alarm followed a fresh attack in Oyatedo village in Irepodun Local Government Area, where suspected kidnappers reportedly killed an ECWA member, Omoniyi Ajise, and abducted his wife along with four other residents.

The incident occurred on Wednesday while leaders of ECWA district councils in the state were holding a security meeting in Omu-Aran, according to a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting and made available to PUNCH Metro on Thursday.

The communiqué was signed by Samuel O. Adewumi, Chairman of the ECWA Joint District Church Councils Forum in the state, and Joseph O. Agboluaje, its Secretary.

The meeting brought together leaders from the Ilorin, Omu-Aran, Igbaja, Oro-Ago and Fate-Tanke District Church Councils to deliberate on the growing security challenges affecting communities in the state and neighbouring areas.

According to the church leaders, the latest attack adds to a growing list of kidnapping incidents reported in communities around Oro-Ago, Babanla and other parts of the district.

They also disclosed that two elderly residents, identified simply as Dada and Ishola, were among the persons earlier abducted in Ahun village but were later released after the kidnappers reportedly realised their advanced age.

The church leaders described the security situation as alarming, noting that kidnappings and attacks had become frequent occurrences in several rural communities.

They warned that the persistent insecurity is particularly affecting farmers at the peak of the cashew harvesting season, a major source of livelihood for residents.

According to the communiqué, many farmers have abandoned their farms for fear of attacks, while communities now live under constant threat from criminal groups.

The forum also lamented that the insecurity had forced the closure of several ECWA churches in affected communities, as members and clergy fled their homes in search of safety.

“Many pastors are now without congregations, while members and residents have been compelled to flee their homes. Economic activities have been severely disrupted, and many families have been pushed into hardship,” the communiqué read.

The church leaders said the situation had reached a point where what was once considered abnormal had become routine in many communities across the district.

They therefore called on the Federal Government, the Kwara State Government and security agencies to urgently strengthen security operations across the affected areas.

According to the forum, protecting lives and property remains a fundamental responsibility of government.

The church urged authorities to deploy more security personnel, strengthen intelligence gathering and adopt proactive strategies to curb kidnapping and other criminal activities in Kwara South and neighbouring communities.

The forum, however, assured that the church would continue to support peace efforts through prayers and moral guidance while encouraging members to remain law-abiding.

ECWA leaders added that the church remained committed to promoting peace, unity and community development across the state.

When contacted, the Kwara State Police Command said it was not aware of the incident, noting that no report had been made to the command.

“I am not aware of any such incident,” the command’s spokesperson, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, a Superintendent of Police, said in a telephone interview with PUNCH Metro on Thursday.

She added that the command was working around the clock to ensure the safety of residents.

“You know the command is not resting on its oars. On Monday, the Inspector-General of Police visited Kwara State and promised that banditry in the state would soon become a thing of the past.

“We also made some arrests recently, and the suspects will be charged in court after investigations are concluded,” she said.

Recent months have witnessed rising security concerns across parts of Kwara State, particularly in rural communities bordering forests and inter-state routes linking the state with Niger, Ekiti and Osun states, where residents have reported increased activities of kidnappers and armed gangs.