Gunmen Kill 2, Abduct Pastor in Nigeria Church Attack

Armed gunmen stormed a church service in central Nigeria on Tuesday evening, killing at least two worshippers and abducting several others, including the pastor, in an attack that has heightened fears of escalating banditry across the region.

The assault occurred around 6 p.m. at the Christ Apostolic Church, Oke Isegun branch, in Eruku town, Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State. Eyewitnesses described masked attackers entering the building during a prayer gathering, firing sporadically and causing panic among the congregation. Police confirmed that one victim, identified as Aderemi, was found fatally shot inside the church, while another, Tunde Asaba Ajayi, died from gunshot wounds in nearby bush. A local vigilante, Segun Alaja, sustained injuries during the confrontation and was treated at ECWA Hospital in Eruku.

Kwara State police spokesperson Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi stated that the divisional police officer and his team, aided by vigilantes, responded immediately to reports of gunfire on the town's outskirts. The rapid intervention forced the assailants to flee into surrounding forests with their captives, though the exact number of abductions remains unconfirmed by...