Tension Grips Kwara Community Again as Gunmen Abduct Farmer

Tension has again gripped Eruku, a community in the Ekiti Local Government Area (LGA) of Kwara State, after gunmen suspected to be terrorists abducted a resident on Sunday, barely a week after 38 kidnapped worshippers regained their freedom.

The latest incident occurred around midday on a farmland along the Eruku–Koro Road. 

According to local accounts, four armed men stormed the area and seized a farmer identified as Annas Aasanru, a native of the town.

A community leader, who requested anonymity, said the attackers arrived during routine farm work and disappeared into the surrounding bush after the abduction. 

“They came with cutlasses and AK-47 rifles, invaded the farmland, and kidnapped a man identified as Annas Aasanru before escaping into the bush,” the source said.

The incident underlined a worrying escalation of insecurity in Kwara State, which has witnessed back-to-back attacks in recent weeks.

On 18 November, gunmen invaded a Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) branch in Eruku during a midweek service, killing three worshippers and abducting 38 others, including the pastor. 

The attack threw the town into panic, with the assailants initially demanding N3 billion before reducing the ransom request to N760 million.

Only days later, another group of bandits attacked Isapa, also in Ekiti LGA, whisking away 11 residents. 

More than 20 gunmen reportedly descended on the community with a large herd of cattle, firing shots indiscriminately. 

A stray bullet was said to have struck an elderly woman. Seven of those abducted were from the same family, including a pregnant woman, two nursing mothers and several children.

On Monday, the Kwara State Government confirmed the release of the 38 church members taken during the Eruku attack. 

However, the fresh abduction has renewed fear among residents, who say the area has become increasingly vulnerable to bandit incursions.

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