Gunmen Kill Pastor, Abduct Worshippers at Ekiti Church Vigil

Gunmen attacked a Christ Apostolic Church vigil in Eda Oniyo, a community in Ilejemeje Local Government Area of Ekiti State, Nigeria, on Tuesday evening around 8:30 p.m., killing one pastor and abducting several worshippers.

The assailants, described by eyewitnesses as heavily armed and arriving in large numbers, stormed the open-air prayer ground on the outskirts of the town. They opened fire, fatally shooting the pastor before bundling an unspecified number of congregants, including elderly people and children, into a nearby forest. Community sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said efforts were underway to confirm the exact number of missing individuals as families compiled lists of those unaccounted for.

Ekiti State Police Command spokesperson Sunday Abutu confirmed the incident on Wednesday, stating that Commissioner of Police Michael Falade had ordered a thorough investigation and manhunt for the perpetrators. "The police, in collaboration with the Nigerian Army, Amotekun Corps, Agro Marshals, local vigilantes and hunters, have commenced aggressive bush-combing operations and a serious manhunt to ensure the rescue of the victims and the arrest and prosecution of...