Terror returned with ruthless force as armed men invaded a religious gathering, gunning down three worshippers and abducting the presiding pastor in an assault that shattered the community’s sense of safety and left many scrambling through the darkness for refuge.
The attackers struck with a level of confidence and coordination that stunned survivors, who described the incident as one of the most traumatic episodes the town had faced in recent times.
Witnesses recounted how the armed men stormed the prayer session, spraying bullets without hesitation and triggering a stampede inside the church.
“The moment they stepped in, everything changed. They fired nonstop, and people just ran in every direction,” one shaken congregant said, his voice still unsteady from the ordeal.
He added that the pastor was seized at gunpoint after the gunmen had already killed three worshippers.
The violence unfolded in Eruku, a community in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, during a meeting at a local branch of the Christ Apostolic Church on Tuesday evening.
What should have been a quiet night of worship turned into a frantic struggle for survival as residents attempted to escape through footpaths and surrounding bushes.
Moreover, locals say the attackers fled through remote routes connecting Eruku to neighbouring towns, disappearing swiftly and leaving the area drenched in fear.
Their escape routes, according to residents, “showed they knew the terrain well,” prompting concerns about further infiltration.
The church assault followed an earlier scare that same evening when heavily armed men descended on the community from a major access route, firing sporadically and forcing travellers to abandon their vehicles.
Gunshots echoed across the town for several minutes as people fled into surrounding forests.
A traveller who recorded a video while hiding described the mayhem vividly: “They started shooting out of nowhere. Everyone ran into the bush. Vehicles are on the road. We need help urgently.”
Furthermore, the atmosphere in Eruku remains tense as families account for missing persons and await updates from authorities.
Police and state government officials have yet to issue formal statements regarding the incident, deepening residents’ anxiety.
Security operatives are expected to launch a coordinated response, but for now, the town sits on edge, grappling with grief, uncertainty, and the fear of another attack.