Bandits, who abducted some 35 worshippers from the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) in the Eruku community in Ekiti Council of Kwara State, have reportedly placed a N100 million ransom on each of their victims.
The bandits had attacked the church on Tuesday evening, killing three of the church members and abducting others.
Worshippers were conducting a service when sporadic gunshots rang out from around the church premises.
The church goers scampered for safety but the bandits took 35 of them and disappeared into the nearby bush without any security resistance.
Families and community leaders said on Thursday that the kidnappers have established contact with relatives using the phones of the victims abducted during Tuesday evening’s attack.
Josiah Agbabiaka, secretary of the CAC assembly, said some families had already been contacted by the abductors.
“It is true that the bandits have started contacting family members using the victims’ phones to demand ransom. From what we were told, they grouped the victims. The first group of 11 people has been asked to pay N100 million each,” Agbabiaka said.
Also, Olusegun Olukotun, the Olori Eta of Eruku, whose four family members were among those abducted, said the kidnappers were reaching out systematically
“Some people in the community have received calls from the kidnappers demanding N100 million for each person. They said the victims were grouped and they are calling each group’s relatives,” Olukotun said.
Olukotun, who was inside the church with five family members during the attack, said he escaped through a window while others were taken away.
Meanwhile, the traditional ruler of Eruku, Oba Busari Olarewaju, has appealed for urgent government intervention to secure the safe release of the victims.
The monarch commended the swift deployment of military personnel to the community following the visit of AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Governor of Kwara, on Wednesday but added that more efforts are needed.
“Last night, soldiers entered our community minutes after the governor visited. Their presence gave us some assurance that the government is responding. But we are still appealing that efforts should be intensified to rescue our people as quickly as possible,” the monarch said.
