The Kogi State Government has confirmed the early-morning attack on a Cherubim and Seraphim Church in Ejiba, Yagba West Local Government Area of the state.
The Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, in a statement issued on Sunday in Lokoja, condemned the assault, which threw the community into panic.
Gunmen were said to have stormed the church during worship and abducted the pastor, his wife and several other congregants, sparking fear among residents who fled in search of safety.
Fanwo described the development as sad and regrettable, assuring that security operatives had been deployed to ensure the rescue of all victims.
“Those who struck at Ejiba must have been hiding in the community for some days or in bushes around the village.
“Some villagers would have seen them and kept quiet. If you refuse to raise alarms when you see strange faces at a time like this, who knows who will be victims of their madness?
“Worshipping in the bush without security in this era, just a few weeks after worshippers were abducted from a church in Kwara State, to me is not ideal.
“We all need to be security conscious at this time. We also need to volunteer intelligence,” he advised.
The commissioner noted that the area had recorded repeated security breaches due to its border location, lamenting that some congregations still hold services in isolated structures with no protection.
“It’s easy to blame the government, but those suffering in the hands of these incurable irredentists are our people. So why won’t we subscribe to wisdom?
“When you see something, say something. Avoid going to unsecured churches and mosques now.
“Avoid absolutely unnecessary journeys at this time. Any journey along the danger zones should be avoided. Do not disclose your movement to anyone again,” he said.
Fanwo added that the state government, working with security agencies, had commenced what he called “drastic measures” to secure the release of the abducted worshippers.