Tragedy has struck the Christian community in Kwara State following the reported killing of five worshippers abducted from the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), Omugo, in Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state.
The victims were among eight worshippers kidnapped by armed terrorists during a church service on March 22, 2026. The abductees included the wife of the church pastor, Rev. Sunday Omole.
The grim development came to light after one of the abductees, Mr. Sunday Bakare, escaped from captivity and returned to the community with details of the fate of his fellow worshippers.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Rev. Omole disclosed that only three of the eight abducted church members remain alive in the custody of the kidnappers, while five others had died.
The deceased were identified as Elder Chief David Omopariola, Chief Joseph Ibitoye Afariogun, Mrs. Iyabo Aniyi, Elder Joshua Akanbi Adeyemi, and Mrs. Rachel Oluwaremilekun Omole, the pastor’s wife.
Rev. Omole expressed deep sorrow over the loss, describing the incident as a painful moment for the church, affected families, and the entire community.
“It is with deep pain in my heart that I inform the church, families and individuals concerned regarding the eight people abducted from ECWA Omugo on March 22, 2026,” the cleric stated.
According to him, the escapee informed church leaders that only three captives remain with the abductors, while the other five had “gone to be with the Lord.”
The pastor urged members of the church to remain steadfast in faith despite the tragedy, noting that God remains in control even in difficult circumstances.
He cited biblical passages to encourage grieving families and worshippers, emphasizing that Christians must continue to trust God amid trials and persecution.
The abduction had drawn widespread concern after Rev. Omole earlier appealed to the Federal Government and security agencies to intensify efforts to secure the release of the victims.
The cleric had revealed that the affected community raised and paid N20 million to the kidnappers and also supplied items worth more than N300,000 in a desperate bid to secure the captives’ freedom.
Despite receiving the payment, the abductors reportedly refused to release the victims and instead demanded an additional N300 million ransom from the community.
Rev. Omole had described the kidnappers’ actions as evidence that they were merely exploiting the community rather than negotiating in good faith.
Meanwhile, sources told Salient Times that the three surviving captives are currently in poor health conditions, raising fears for their safety and well-being.
The escaped victim is said to be receiving urgent medical treatment at a private hospital in Omu-Aran, while renewed calls have been made for swift security intervention to rescue the remaining hostages and curb the growing wave of kidnappings across the region.
