Unknown armed bandits have attacked a Cherubim and Seraphim (C&S) church in Ejiba, Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State, kidnapping the pastor, his wife and several worshippers in the middle of a Sunday service. The attackers were said to have invaded the new white‑garment church while worship was ongoing, throwing the congregation into panic as people fled in different directions.
An eyewitness, Adegboyega Oguns, who was inside the church during the invasion, said the gunmen arrived suddenly and opened fire, forcing congregants to run for their lives. He identified the abducted clergyman as the pastor “popularly called Orlando,” adding that the gunmen also seized his wife and “some others” before escaping with their captives. Describing the chaos, he explained that “it’s a new Cherubim and Seraphim church. The pastor popularly called Orlando and his wife with some others have been kidnapped. It was serious, we all ran out of church,” capturing the fear and confusion that followed the attack.
Local sources say the exact number of people taken away has not yet been confirmed, as families are still trying to account for missing relatives and friends. Residents report that the incident has heightened tension across Ejiba and surrounding communities, with many people choosing to remain indoors and travellers diverting routes to avoid the area. Community members fear that the attack is part of a wider pattern of insecurity affecting parts of Kogi State, where rural communities and highways have increasingly come under assault from armed groups.
The Ejiba incident reportedly came barely a day after another group of gunmen attacked along the Isanlu Makutu–Idofin corridor in neighbouring Yagba East LGA, forcing residents and motorists to flee for safety. The back‑to‑back assaults have deepened worries that bandits are expanding their operations in the zone, targeting both places of worship and major roads. As of the time of this report, security agencies had yet to provide detailed information on the attack or confirm any arrests, while anxious families and church members wait for news of the abducted pastor, his wife and other worshippers.
