15 Ekiti church worshippers freed after 66 days in captivity
15 worshippers abducted from a church in Ekiti State have been released after 66 days in captivity and are now recovering.
Relief has finally settled over Eda Oniyo, a quiet farming community on the border between Ekiti and Kwara states. Fifteen worshippers snatched from a church more than two months ago are now recovering in hospital beds in Ado Ekiti.
Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji walked through the emergency and children’s wards of the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital on Sunday to see them. The victims, mostly women and children, regained their freedom in the early hours of Saturday after roughly 66 days in captivity. They had been seized on April 28 when gunmen stormed a programme at a Christ Apostolic Church in Eda Oniyo, in the Ilejemeje Local Government Area. During that attack, the assailants shot a pastor dead and marched 16 worshippers into the surrounding forest. One of the captives, a woman, died before the others could be released.
Speaking at the hospital, Oyebanji said he was encouraged by the condition of those receiving treatment. “I am happy that they are back. I am happy that the little child who was unconscious yesterday is now conscious,” the governor said. He confirmed that the state would cover the full cost of their care and support their return to normal life.
The governor thanked President Bola Tinubu for his support and commended security agencies, including members of the Hunters’ Association. He also singled out community groups for praise. He cautioned against turning the tragedy into a political weapon. “The safety of every Ekiti indigene should be our concern, and there should be a limit to politics,” he said.
How exactly the captives regained their freedom remains unclear. The Ekiti State Police Command has insisted the release was the product of a coordinated operation.
The winners: the families of the 15 survivors. The losers: the family of the woman who died in captivity, the family of the pastor who was shot dead, and the people of Ekiti State, who now know that no church is safe from armed men.
Bottom Line: Fifteen worshippers are free after 66 days. The relief is real. So is the fear that it could happen again.