Gunmen, in the early hours of Wednesday, abducted five worshippers at a church in Uso, Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State.
It was gathered that the armed men stormed the church, a branch of the Celestial Church of Christ, at about 1:00 a.m. while a service was ongoing, abducted the worshippers and took them to an unknown destination.
The spokesperson for the Ondo State Police Command, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, confirmed the incident in a message sent to journalists in Akure on Wednesday.
Jimoh said, “Upon receiving the report, operatives of the command, in collaboration with the Nigerian Army and local vigilante groups, immediately mobilised to the scene and commenced coordinated rescue operations.”
He further disclosed that one of the victims has been rescued, while one suspect has been apprehended.
“As a result of sustained joint efforts, one of the kidnapped victims has been successfully rescued. Additionally, one suspect linked to the incident has been arrested and has made useful statements that are assisting with ongoing investigations.”
Jimoh added that operations are ongoing to ensure the safe rescue of the remaining victims and the arrest of all perpetrators involved.
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He urged residents of the area to remain calm, vigilant and cooperate with security agencies by providing credible and actionable information that may aid ongoing operations.
The latest church attack comes almost four years after the terror attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, in which 41 people were killed and 140 others injured in Ondo State.
Just yesterday, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) reportedly arrested the sixth person allegedly involved in the 2022 attack.
The DSS is currently prosecuting five persons — Idris Omeiza (25), Al Qasim Idris (20), Jamiu Abdulmalik (26), Abdulhaleem Idris (25), and Momoh Otuho Abubakar (47) — for allegedly carrying out acts of terrorism.
A security source disclosed that DSS operatives, who had been on his trail for years, arrested the sixth suspect, identified as Sani Yusuf, in the Iguosa community along Powerline in Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State.
Ondo State has witnessed a surge in the activities of armed bandits in recent months, with kidnappings on the rise across the South-West state.
On January 26, residents of Ilu-Abo community in Akure North Local Government Area staged a peaceful protest over a recent surge in kidnappings, barricading the Airport–Owo Expressway and causing heavy traffic along the axis.
The protest followed the abduction of a middle-aged woman, Oladeinde Tomilola, who was kidnapped at the entrance of her residence.
Eyewitnesses said the assailants, believed to be armed, shot at her vehicle, damaging its fuel tank and tyres before whisking her away.
During the attack, two neighbours who raised the alarm and attempted to intervene were shot, one in the head and another in the stomach.
Both victims were rushed to a nearby hospital for emergency medical treatment.
Additionally, a woman and her 11-year-old daughter passing through the area reportedly sustained varying degrees of injuries from the gunfire.
Following the attack, the Commissioner of Police in Ondo State, CP Adebowale Lawal, visited the community to assess the situation and engage with residents.
According to the police spokesperson in the state, the commissioner “condemned the attack in strong terms and reassured residents that existing security frameworks have been reinforced with additional tactical and intelligence-driven measures to ensure the swift arrest of the perpetrators and to forestall any future occurrence.”