The Presidency on Monday revealed that operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the military established direct communication with the bandits who abducted 38 worshippers from the Christ Apostolic Church, Oke Isegun, Eruku, in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State.

Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, speaking on Arise Television, said security agencies reached out to the attackers shortly after the incident and demanded the immediate release of the victims.

“After the incident happened, the DSS and the military were involved in the rescue efforts. They got in contact with the bandits to release those people unharmed, and finally, on Sunday, they were able to get them out,” he explained.

Securing Lives Before Confrontation

Onanuga insisted the bandits complied because they understood the consequences of disregarding government orders. He explained that operatives had sophisticated methods of tracking armed groups but often held back to prevent civilian casualties, as kidnappers routinely use abductees as shields.

“The security people, at the risk of revealing how they work, have a way of tracking these people. They know what’s going on at any time. What sometimes restrains them from going after the kidnappers is the risk of collateral damage,” he said.

Pressed on by anchor man, Charles Aniagolu. why security forces did not engage the bandits hostilely, despite the attackers killing two worshippers during the church invasion, Onanuga said the government’s priority was to secure the hostages alive.

“The first thing the government must do is get those people freed. That objective has been achieved,” he stated.

He added that further action against the perpetrators would follow. “The next level of action is for the security agencies, and I don’t want to pre‑empt them.”

Questions Over Uneven Rescue Efforts

The 38 worshippers spent five days in captivity before regaining freedom on Sunday, following coordinated security operations.

Yet the successful rescue, celebrated as it were, sparked questions among Nigerians: why have similar methods not been deployed to free other kidnap victims in different parts of the country, where families continue to wait in anguish?

Kwara State, though geographically part of the north, is a Yoruba‑majority state — the same ethnic stock as President Tinubu, the heads of the police and the defense forces.

That fact has fueled speculation about whether the swift rescue was influenced by political or ethnic considerations, or whether it simply reflects evolving tactics by security agencies.

Bandits Strike the Second Time

But as if lightning struck a place the second time, at least 11 residents of Isapa, near Eruku in Ekiti Local Government Area were abducted in a fresh bandit attack.

The new attack happened around 6:00 p.m. on Monday and was reportedly carried out by 20 to 30 bandits. They fired sporadically as they advanced, forcing residents to flee for safety. An elderly woman was reportedly hit by a stray bullet during the incident.

The incident occurred barely 24 hours after victims abducted during a church service were released. A Christ Apostolic Church in Ekuru was holding a thanksgiving service to celebrate the freedom of 18 worshippers kidnapped about a month ago when gunmen broke in and abducted 38 persons after gunning down three.

A community leader, speaking under strict anonymity, said, “Eleven people were kidnapped, seven of them from the same household. The victims include a pregnant woman, two nursing mothers, and several young children.

Eyewitnesses said the gunmen moved through sections of the town, leaving bullet holes in walls and doors. Expended AK-47 shells were later recovered from several points in the community after the attackers retreated with their captives.

The situation has heightened tension across Isapa and surrounding settlements as security agencies and local vigilante groups intensify efforts to locate the kidnappers and rescue the victims.

Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, confirmed the incident to Daily Trust, saying, “Yes, there was an incident, but I cannot say much now. I am about to enter Isapa from Ilorin. I will update you when I get there.”

Now, the hope is that the Nigeria’s security forces can replicate the Eruku rescue in Isapa and across the nation as a whole where abductions had occurred.

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