Kwara Local Government Suspends Vigils After Gunmen K!lled Worshippers, ∆bducted 15
Kwara Local Government Suspends Vigils After Gunmen Killed Worshippers, Abducted 15
The decision followed the attack on Ori-Oke Ajaiye, near Ikerin-Opin, where gunmen invaded a Christian night vigil, killed three persons and abducted 15 others.
The Executive Chairman of the Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, Awelewa Olawale Gabriel, has ordered the indefinite suspension of night vigils in worship centres located in rural communities across the council area following a deadly gunmen attack on worshippers during a church vigil.
The decision followed the attack on Ori-Oke Ajaiye, near Ikerin-Opin, where gunmen invaded a Christian night vigil, killed three persons and abducted 15 others.
The chairman’s Chief Press Secretary, Prince Dada Sunday, disclosed the directive in a statement issued.
According to the statement, the council acted based on recommendations from its security advisory team, directing religious organisations in isolated locations to relocate services to community centres within towns and villages.
The council also ordered that daytime worship services should not exceed two hours.
Awelewa reportedly expressed frustration that the attacked church continued holding night programmes in a remote area despite repeated warnings earlier issued to religious bodies through the Christian Association of Nigeria and the League of Imams.
“Faith cannot be practised at the expense of life. We have consistently advised churches and mosques in isolated areas to stop holding night vigils. Worship is meant to edify and protect, not expose people to avoidable danger,” the statement quoted him as saying.
“Security is a shared responsibility. Our people must choose prudence over ritual when the environment is unsafe. No prayer is more valuable than human life.”
The council chairman described the attack as “a painful reminder that insecurity thrives where communities are unguarded, and warnings are ignored.”
He further noted that the church’s location on a hill far from residential settlements hampered rapid intervention by security operatives during the attack.
“Help could not come quickly because the congregation was isolated. That is a reality we must confront honestly,” the statement added.
Awelewa assured residents that the local government would collaborate with the Kwara State government and security agencies to secure the release of the abducted worshippers and improve surveillance in vulnerable communities.
He also sympathised with families of those killed and abducted during the attack.
