Suspected gunmen on Sunday attacked the Evangelical Church Winning All, ECWA, in Omugo community during service in Ifelodun local government area of Kwara State and kidnapped some members.
Eyewitness accounts indicated that the bandits stormed the premises and began shooting sporadically, creating panic and forcing members of the congregation to flee in different directions.
Amid the chaos, eight worshippers were reportedly abducted by the attackers.
However, three of the abducted victims were said to have escaped from their captors, while five others remain in captivity.
The incident is coming few months after bandits attacked a CAC church in Eruku, Ekiti Local Government area, during church service, before they were later released.
The Kwara State Government confirmed the attack, describing it as a disturbing incident and condemning the targeting of a place of worship.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the Commissioner for Communications, Bolanle Olukoju, the government commended security operatives and local response groups for their swift intervention.
The statement acknowledged the role of security forces, forest guards, and local vigilantes in the immediate response, particularly in facilitating the escape of three of the victims.
The government also urged continued collaboration among security agencies, community members, and local vigilantes to confront the growing threat of criminal activities in the area.
It further noted that ongoing operations, including forest combing exercises, have yielded progress in curbing the activities of criminal elements within affected communities.
IGP Disu orders reduction of tactical teams
In another development, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, has ordered the reduction of tactical teams by Commissioners of Police and Heads of formations.
A statement by DCP Anthony Placid, force public relations officer, said the IGP is uncomfortable with the proliferation of tactical teams as they drain police divisions and posts of required manpower and bring issues that affect the Force’s integrity because of the excesses of the poorly supervised teams.
“To address these issues, the IGP directed the reduction of the tactical teams at Zonal and State Command levels to a maximum of five, and Area Command and Divisional levels to a maximum of three.
“This can be achieved by merging or disbanding teams, at the Heads of formations’ discretion. The teams referred to exclude State Government-created outfits like Lagos’ Rapid Response Squad, Oyo’s SRS, and Bayelsa’s Operation DOO-AKPOR and other similar outfits across the country.
“The IGP expects this move to free personnel for Police Stations, reducing complaints about tactical team excesses,” the statement reads.
Placid’s statement came amidst some media reports that the Inspector-General of Police had drawn tactical teams nationwide, a claim he said is a misrepresentation of the IGP’s directives.
“The IGP, a grassroots officer with a profound network across Nigerian society, is aware of public concerns about police tactical teams’ operations and the creation of multiple teams by Commissioners of Police and Heads of formations, with attendant backlash,” the statement stated.
