Eruku Church Returns To Worship As Community Awaits Rescue Of Thirty Eight Abducted Members
The Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku reopened its doors on Sunday, just days after armed men stormed a midweek service and abducted dozens of worshipers in an assault that has left the quiet Kwara border community shaken and searching for answers. The congregation gathered in a subdued hall, many still clutching folded handkerchiefs and murmured prayers, as the preacher stepped to the pulpit. His voice, firm but edged with the weight of recent loss, declared that those who carried out the killings “will face the judgment of God,” a message that drew nods from a flock determined to show resilience in the face of terror. The church confirmed that thirty eight worshipers remain in captivity following Tuesday’s night attack, an incident that left several people dead and families scattered in confusion. According to church officials, the attackers made their demands through the mobile phones of abducted congregants, insisting on a heavy ransom for their release. Security vehicles idled outside the church compound on reopening day, officers watching the surroundings with a guarded tension that suggested the community’s wounds were still raw. Many residents moved quietly, as if afraid to disturb the fragile calm settling over Eruku. Church members described their return to worship as an act of defiance, a way of reclaiming sacred ground that had been violated. The preacher urged them not to be consumed by fear, insisting that those who died “died on the side of Christ” and that their faith must not falter. Today, questions continue to build about the state’s response, the rising wave of rural insecurity, and the sheer scale of the hostage situation. Community leaders maintain that the attack reflects a disturbing pattern in which criminal groups strike at soft targets, overwhelming local defenses and slipping away into surrounding forests. For now, families wait for news of the abducted. Security forces promise they are working. And inside a modest church still bearing traces of panic from that night, worshipers cling to their faith, hoping their loved ones will return and their community will find its footing once more.
| 2025-11-23 19:25:23