Freed worshippers from the Christ Apostolic Church, Oke Igan, in Eruku, Kwara State, have described the forest where they were held as a territory firmly controlled by armed groups.
The victims were among 38 people seized during an evening service on 19 November and later freed in a joint operation confirmed by President Bola Tinubu on Sunday.
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Several survivors, who spoke to TVC News and Channels Television, recounted the attack and the days spent in captivity. One of them said the assault began shortly after the prayer session opened.
“It was a sudden act, a terrifying act. That evening, after about 30 minutes of the programme, we just heard gunshots,” he told TVC. He added that he initially mistook the sound for electrical sparks.
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Another survivor, Bamidele Emmanuel, said the attackers surrounded the church before leading the captives into the forest.
“By the time we got up, they surrounded the whole church,” he said. “Even some people there began to say they were seeing drops of blood everywhere.”
Mr Emmanuel described the kidnappers’ base as an organised camp deep inside the bush.
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“It was unimaginable. When we got there, we didn’t know it was a dominated area,” he said. “They made us know that no one can slip away. And with what we saw, nobody can escape.”
He added that the group demonstrated total control of the terrain. “They know all the routes surrounding the bushes within Kwara and other cities. They know it,” he said.
A second survivor told Channels Television that the realisation set in as soon as they entered the forest.
“When we got there, we knew it was a dominated area by these evil people called bandits. What we saw, nobody can imagine,” he said.
He described the kidnappers as moving confidently through routes that connect several communities in Kwara and neighbouring states.
A representative of the church, Oluwafemi Jaiyeoba, stated that the release of the victims was a relief and thanked state and federal authorities for their intervention.
President Tinubu had earlier said he cancelled his trip to the G20 summit in South Africa to coordinate national security efforts.
“Thanks to the efforts of our security forces over the last few days, all the 38 worshippers abducted in Eruku, Kwara State have been rescued,” he said in a statement on Sunday. He also announced the recovery of 51 students kidnapped in Niger State.
The Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, had issued a separate statement through his spokesperson, Rafiu Ajakaye, praising the coordinated operations ordered by the president. Mr Ajakaye said the deployments included four specialised police units, additional troops and intelligence teams.
READ ALSO:How bandits abducted 40 women, children in Kebbi before abducting schoolgirls
The abduction in Eruku occurred a day before gunmen seized 303 students and school workers in Niger State and days after another mass abduction in Kebbi.
The series of attacks has deepened concerns over organised kidnapping networks operating across the North-central and North-west regions.
Authorities in Kwara responded with emergency school closures in affected areas and a security council meeting where commanders reviewed arrests, aerial missions and ground deployments.
The rescued worshippers are expected to undergo medical checks before reuniting with their families.
Questions remain over whether the operation was purely a rescue mission or involved ransom payments; however, officials have not confirmed any payments.
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