The Presidency has confirmed that operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the military directly contacted the armed bandits who abducted 38 worshippers from a church in Eruku, Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State.
Presidential Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this on Monday during an interview on Arise Television. He stated that security agencies engaged the kidnappers and demanded the unconditional release of all victims.
“After the incident happened, the DSS and the military were involved in the rescue efforts. They got in contact with the bandits to release those people unharmed, and finally on Sunday they were able to get them out,” Onanuga said.
He added that the bandits complied because they understood the consequences of defying direct government orders.
According to him, security agencies have established mechanisms to track armed groups but often avoid direct confrontation when civilians are at high risk, particularly when abductors use victims as human shields.
“What sometimes restrains them… is the risk of collateral damage,” he explained.
Onanuga insisted the government’s first priority was securing the safe return of the abducted victims. He declined to confirm whether a military operation followed the release or if any suspects had been apprehended.
“All 38 worshippers were rescued alive,” he noted, adding that operational details remain classified.
The kidnapping and subsequent release have sparked renewed calls for stronger intelligence operations, as insecurity continues to escalate across Kwara South and surrounding regions.
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