The Kogi State government has advised churches located in vulnerable or remote areas to reconsider holding services there until security conditions improve. The warning follows a violent attack on Sunday, when armed men stormed a newly established Cherubim and Seraphim Church in Ejiba, Yagba West LGA, during early morning worship, abducting the pastor, his wife, and several congregants.
Reacting to the incident, Kingsley Fanwo, the state’s commissioner for information, urged residents to remain vigilant and report anything unusual in their communities. “I am also aware that the security network, comprising the conventional security agencies and the local security architecture are currently doing what they should do. We have no figures yet as we await security agencies to carry out their findings and report back to the public,” he said.
Fanwo called for heightened community alertness, adding: “We urge the citizens to be security-conscious and also report suspicious movements and faces to security agencies. When you see something, say something.” He went on to caution religious organisations operating in isolated locations, saying, “Worship Centres in the outskirts should also reconsider worshipping in crime-prone areas for now until the situation gets better.”
The state has witnessed a series of attacks on worship centres in recent weeks. On November 18, armed bandits raided a Christ Apostolic Church in Oke Isegun, Eruku community, a boundary area between Kogi and Kwara, abducting several worshippers. President Bola Tinubu later announced that all those kidnapped in that incident had been successfully rescued.
Security operatives in Kogi say efforts are ongoing to track the perpetrators of the latest abduction and secure the release of the victims.
