The Kogi State Government has confirmed the early Sunday morning attack on a Cherubim and Seraphim Church in Ejiba, Yagba West Local Government Area of the state.
The state Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, made the confirmation in a statement on Sunday in Lokoja, where he strongly condemned the incident.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that gunmen, who launched the attack, allegedly abducted the pastor, his wife and some other worshippers.
The attack threw the Ejiba community into panic, with residents reportedly fleeing in search of safety.
Fanwo, who described the incident as “very sad and unfortunate,” assured all that efforts were underway to rescue all victims.
He said, “Those who struck at Ejiba must have been hiding in the community for some days or in bushes around the village.
“Some villagers would have seen them and kept quiet. If you refuse to raise alarms when you see strange faces at a time like this, who knows who will be victims of their madness?
“Worshipping in the bush without security in this era, just a few weeks after worshippers were abducted from a church in Kwara State, to me, is not ideal.
“We all need to be security-conscious at this time. We also need to volunteer intelligence,” he advised.
The commissioner said the state government and the Yagba West Local Government Area authorities had been working to combat criminality in the border community.
According to him, Ejiba had experienced similar challenges, yet some pastors continued to encourage worshippers to gather in isolated locations despite prevailing risks.
“It’s easy to blame the government, but those suffering in the hands of these incurable irredentists are our people. So why won’t we subscribe to wisdom?
“When you see something, say something. Avoid going to unsecured churches and mosques now.
“Avoid absolutely unnecessary journeys at this time. Any journey along the danger zones should be avoided. Do not disclose your movement to anyone again,” he warned.
Fanwo added that the state government and security agencies had taken “drastic measures” to ensure the safe rescue of the abducted victims.
(NAN)
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