By Ayomide Otitoju
Two people were reportedly killed on Tuesday evening during a suspected bandit attack in Eruku, a boundary town in the Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State. The gunmen reportedly stormed the parish of Christ Apostolic Church, Oke Isegun, on the outskirts of the town, leaving residents in panic.
Eyewitnesses described the attackers as “suddenly and heavily armed,” forcing many to flee into nearby bushes for safety. “They came around nightfall and started shooting. Two people were killed instantly, and we don’t even know how many were taken,” one resident told reporters. Another said the community had faced “perpetual attacks for the last three weeks” despite repeated distress calls to local authorities.
Police confirmed the fatalities. SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, the Police Public Relations Officer, said one male victim, Mr. Aderemi, was found fatally shot inside the church, while another, Mr. Tunde Asaba Ajayi, was discovered dead in the bush. A vigilante, Segun Alaja, sustained gunshot injuries and was taken to ECWA Hospital in Eruku for treatment.
Community members noted that previous efforts by police, vigilantes, and the Eruku Progressive Union had offered some resistance, but the latest attack has intensified fears of worsening insecurity. “We need federal help. These attacks are becoming too much for us to bear,” an elder pleaded.
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq condemned the attack and called for urgent reinforcement of security in the area. His Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, said the governor had requested immediate deployment of additional security operatives to support local forces. AbdulRazaq expressed sympathy with the victims’ families and the church community, while commending President Bola Tinubu for recently deploying 900 additional troops to Kwara State to enhance safety and deter further attacks.
The Eruku attack has intensified concerns over banditry in Kwara’s border communities and comes days after 26 schoolgirls were abducted during an attack on the Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State. While two of the girls have regained freedom, the school’s Vice Principal, Malam Hassan Makuku, was reportedly killed.
