A quiet evening service in the town of Eruku, Kwara State, was thrown into chaos when armed men attacked a local church, killing two people and abducting the pastor along with several worshippers. The incident happened on Tuesday around 6 p.m., just days after a separate abduction of schoolgirls in another part of the country.
The sudden violence has intensified pressure on the Nigerian government, especially as global voices draw attention to religious tensions in the country. President Bola Tinubu cancelled a planned trip to South Africa and Angola so he could receive urgent security briefings and coordinate a response to the recent attacks. He ordered a stronger security presence in the area and directed agencies to pursue the attackers and rescue the kidnapped victims.
The attack unfolded in the middle of a church service. A video shared online captured worshippers praying moments before gunfire erupted. People scrambled for safety as armed men entered the building, collecting belongings and rounding up several congregants before leading them into the surrounding bush.
Police later confirmed that one person died inside the church while another was found dead nearby. Some witnesses reported seeing at least three fatalities. The exact number of abducted worshippers has not yet been confirmed.
The governor of Kwara has called for immediate reinforcements, urging security agencies to tighten protection across the state to prevent further violence.
Meanwhile, authorities are still searching for the schoolgirls taken from a boarding school in Kebbi State earlier in the week. The vice president is expected to visit the area to meet with families and local leaders as the search continues.
Across Nigeria, communities remain on edge as the country continues to confront overlapping security challenges—from insurgency and banditry to clashes in rural regions.