A survivor of the recent abduction at Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Eruku in Kwara State, has recounted the terrifying evening when terrorists stormed the church, firing gunshots and seizing 38 worshippers during an evening service. The ordeal began just 30 minutes after the programme commenced. “It was a sudden act, a terrifying act. Because that evening, after 30 minutes of the programme, we just heard gunshots,” the survivor told TVC. “Even to my own perspective, I didn’t know it was gunshots. I thought it was just sparking of some wire.”
As panic set in, the attackers encircled the building. “By the time we got up, they surrounded the whole church. Even some people there began to narrate that they were seeing drops of blood everywhere,” he continued. The captives, including the survivor, were then led into a forested stronghold. “It was unimaginable because when we got there, we didn’t know that it was a dominated area,” he said.
The kidnappers, openly identifying themselves as bandits, made it clear that their area of control was absolute. “They made us know that there is no one who can slip away without being caught. And with what we saw, nobody can escape,” the survivor said, describing how the group knew every route around the Kwara forests and beyond. “From that place, they have dominated. They knew all the routes surrounding all those bushes within Kwara and other cities. They knew it.”
Throughout their captivity, the victims felt the constant vigilance of their abductors, who boasted about their control over the terrain and their mastery in detecting any movement within the bush. “The freed victim described the forest as heavily monitored, with the terrorists boasting about their grip on the terrain and their ability to detect any movement across the surrounding bushes. He said the captives were constantly guarded, leaving them in fear and uncertainty throughout their stay in the camp.”
The harrowing account comes as security operatives work to address the recent spike in attacks and abductions in Kwara and other northern states, where the experience of the Eruku church congregation is unfortunately emblematic of a worsening insecurity crisis. Church services have since resumed at CAC, under the shadow of trauma and heightened caution. All 38 abducted worshippers were eventually released, but the memory of the attack lingers for the survivors and their families.
