Gunmen Kill Pastor, Abduct Worshippers In Ekiti Community

Residents of Eda Oniyo Ekiti, headquarters of Ilejemeje local government area of Ekiti State, were gripped with fear as gunmen invaded their community, killed one person and abducted several others.

The incident, it was gathered, occurred on Tuesday evening when the suspected bandits attacked worshippers during an open-air crusade organised by a church in the community around 7 p.m.

The bandits were said to have fired sporadic gunshots, killing teh guest pastor while a number of worshippers were abducted during the attack.

A source close to the town said the heavily armed bandits had a field day during the heinous operation before fleeing the area with unspecified number abductees into a nearby forest.

A community leader, who did not want his name in the print, told newsmen in Ado-Ekiti that aged persons and children were among those kidnapped.

According to him, “This evening, a few minutes to seven, gunmen invaded a church program at Eda Oniyo during a programme. They shot the guest pastor and into the congregation, abducting several worshippers, including the elderly and children, taking them into the forest. The heavily armed bandits came in their large numbers and their operations have left residents in shock as families continue to search for their missing loved ones.”

The chairman of Ilejemeje local government area, Hon. Pius Alaba, who confirmed the incident when contacted, explained that reports from the pastor in charge of the church indicated that over 50 worshipers attended the programme, saying many of them managed to escape into the forest.

The local government chairman said the remains of the guest Pastor, who was said to be from a neighbouring State, had been deposited at a morgue.