Suspected bandits carried out coordinated assaults on Eruku community in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, killing two men and injuring a vigilante during attacks on a Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) parish and along the Ilorin–Kabba Road.

The Kwara State Police Command confirmed the incidents in a statement by spokesperson SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, noting that the first raid struck CAC Oke Isegun parish around 6 p.m. during a service. Worshipper Mr. Aderemi was shot dead inside the church, while another victim, Mr. Tunde Asaba Ajayi, was later found dead in nearby bushes. Vigilante Segun Alaja sustained gunshot wounds and was rushed to ECWA Hospital Eruku for treatment.

Police teams led by the DPO Eruku, supported by vigilantes, engaged the attackers on the town’s outskirts, forcing them to retreat into forests bordering Kogi State. Although no abductions were officially confirmed, eyewitnesses and social media videos described scenes of chaos, sporadic gunfire, and reports of people being marched away.

A video circulated online by Sahara Reporters captures the moment the bandits entered the church and conducted a raid.

Community leader Benjamin Ayeoribe condemned the assault, describing it as part of three weeks of relentless raids and calling for federal intervention. “We need federal help... These attacks are too much,” he said. The Eruku Progressive Union and local hunters mounted resistance, but the bandits exploited the difficult border terrain.

Kwara State Commissioner of Police Adekemi Ojo praised the swift response of security operatives and vowed to “decimate” the attackers, deploying tactical teams to the area.

The incident comes amid a surge in banditry across Nigeria’s Northwest, with recent abductions in Kebbi and clashes in Zamfara claiming dozens of lives. UNICEF and rights groups have renewed calls for enforcement of Nigeria’s 2015 Safe Schools Declaration, noting that more than 1,400 children have been kidnapped since 2014.