On the night of May 23, 2026, a group of armed men stormed a church prayer vigil in Kwara State, western Nigeria, and killed three Christians
They also kidnapped 15 other people who were attending the evening service.
The attack occurred around 8:30 PM in Ori-Oke Ajaiye, a rural area on the outskirts of the village of Ekerin, in Ekiti County.
According to Kwara State Police spokesman Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, the criminals arrived firing randomly at the assembled worshippers.
Pastor Adebayo Abiodun, of the Ijo Ajaye Ati Igbala church, reported the incident to authorities the following day.
Police classified the act as barbaric, cruel, and unacceptable, and immediately launched a search operation with tactical teams, drones, and intelligence units to rescue the kidnapped individuals and arrest those responsible.
The president of the Ekiti Local Government Council, Awelewa Olawale Gabriel, lamented the incident and reinforced a previous directive: churches and mosques in isolated areas should suspend worship services and night vigils due to the high risk of terrorist attacks in the region.
“Faith cannot be practiced at the cost of people’s lives,” he stated.
Local authorities believe that security must come first to prevent tragedies like this.
The Committee for the Defense of Human Rights (CDHR) also strongly condemned the attack.
In a statement, its leaders highlighted that this type of violence against innocent people during prayer generates panic in neighboring communities and reveals a worrying pattern of attacks on places of worship and rural villages in the southern Kwara state.
They mentioned previous attacks, such as the one in November at an Apostolic Christian church and another in March at an evangelical congregation, where worshippers were also kidnapped.
CDHR representatives criticized the apparent slowness of the state and federal governments in combating the terrorism and banditry that are growing in the region.
According to them, farmers can no longer work safely, the local economy is suffering, and people live in constant fear, which threatens peace, religious freedom, and even the country’s food security.
They called for urgent, coordinated, and continuous action to protect rural communities.
Unfortunately, Nigeria has the highest number of Christians killed for their faith in the world.
According to Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch Report, of the 4,849 Christians murdered globally for religious reasons between October 2024 and September 2025, 3,490 (about 72%) were Nigerians.
Islamic extremist militias, such as the Fulani, Boko Haram, and other jihadist groups, are responsible for the majority of these attacks, especially in the north-central region of the country.
The violence has also spread to areas in the south.
This tragic episode in Kwara reinforces the need for greater protection for Christian communities and all vulnerable populations in Nigeria.
While the families of the victims mourn their losses and await news of those kidnapped, civil society and authorities are being urged to take effective measures to restore security and tranquility in these affected regions.
Cases like this show how insecurity continues to threaten the lives and religious freedom of thousands of Nigerians.
Published in 05/31/2026 20h33
Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption.
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