Kwara Police Debunk Viral Video Falsely Claiming Arrest of Church Attackers, Say Massive Manhunt Still Ongoing

The Kwara State Police Command today, Thursday, November 20, 2025, issued a strong denial, debunking a viral social media video and accompanying reports that falsely claimed the arrest of the bandits responsible for the deadly attack on the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) in Eruku community.

The video, which circulated widely across various platforms, caused momentary confusion and false hope among relatives of the abducted worshippers.

ASP Ejire Adetoun, the Police Public Relations Officer for the Command, confirmed that the reports were “completely false and baseless” and urged the public to disregard them entirely. She stated that the misleading video was unrelated to the ongoing investigation into the Tuesday evening attack.

“The Command wants to state unequivocally that no arrests have been made regarding the church attack at Eruku. The purported video showing arrests is pure misinformation designed to mislead the public,” ASP Adetoun stated. “We urge all citizens, especially the families of the abducted, to remain calm and reject these wicked acts of disinformation.”

Focus Remains on Rescue and Arrest

The Police confirmed that the massive manhunt for the bandits, who killed five worshippers and abducted approximately 38 others, is still intensely active. Security operatives, including a combined force of the Nigerian Army and local vigilantes, are strategically combing the vast forest corridors that serve as hideouts for the criminal elements operating near the state’s border with Kogi State.

The debunking comes on a difficult day for the Eruku community, as relatives of the abducted victims confirmed that the bandits have contacted them and demanded an impossible ₦100 million ransom for each captive.

The Police Command stressed that all efforts are currently concentrated on tracking and securing the safe return of the victims and bringing the perpetrators to justice, rather than issuing false claims of arrests.