Kidnappers Demand Staggering ₦100 Million Ransom for Each of the 38 Abducted Kwara Church Worshippers

The tragedy unfolding in Eruku community, Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, reached a devastating peak today, Thursday, November 20, 2025, as bandits who abducted worshippers from a church service demanded an unprecedented ransom of ₦100 million for each victim.

The gunmen, who attacked the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Oke Isegun branch, on Tuesday evening, killed at least five worshippers before marching approximately 38 others into the bush.

Family members and community leaders confirmed to journalists that the abductors have established contact and systematically grouped the victims, calling relatives to relay the shocking ransom figure.

Chief Olusegun Olukotun, the Olori Eta of Eruku, whose four relatives are among the abducted, confirmed the terrifying development. “Some people in the community have received calls from the kidnappers demanding ₦100 million for each person. They said the victims were grouped and they are calling each group’s relatives,” Olukotun said.

Commando Style Attack and Widespread Panic

The attack on the church, which occurred during a midweek evening fellowship, was captured in a chilling viral video from a live stream, showing sudden sporadic gunfire before the congregation scrambled for safety. The abduction of the worshippers, including the pastor, has thrown the community into panic, especially given the border town’s recent history of bandit activities.

The huge ransom demand comes despite the swift deployment of military personnel to the community following a visit by Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, on Wednesday. Security agencies, collaborating with local vigilantes, are reportedly combing the vast forest corridors used by the bandits.

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), through its President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, has strongly condemned the attack, describing it as a painful reminder of the escalating insecurity facing communities and calling for the swift rescue of the abducted citizens.

The impossible ransom figure of ₦100 million per person, totaling billions of Naira, underscores the increasingly daring and economically devastating tactics of bandit groups operating in Nigeria’s North Central region.