Fresh fears have emerged over the fate of worshippers kidnapped from an Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA) congregation in the Omugo community of Ifelodun Local Government Area, Kwara State, following reports that five of the abductees may have died while in captivity.
The victims were among eight worshippers abducted by armed men during an attack on the church on March 22, 2026.
Sources familiar with the situation on Wednesday said that the information reportedly came from one of the captives who escaped from the kidnappers’ hideout.
A source, who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the matter, disclosed that relatives of the victims had already been informed about the alleged deaths.
According to the source, the wife of the church minister, Pastor Omole, is among those feared to have lost their lives while being held captive.
“It is with deep pain in my heart that I inform you that out of eight people who were abducted from ECWA Omugo on March 22, 2026, only three people are still with the kidnappers. The remaining five have gone to be with the Lord,” the source said.
The source named the deceased victims as Elder David Omopariola, Chief Joseph Ibitoye Afariogun, Mrs Iyabo Aniyi, Elder Joshua Akanbi Adeyemi, and Mrs Rachel Oluwaremilekun Omole.
“May God console their immediate families and the church at large,” he added.
As of the time of filing this report, the exact circumstances surrounding the alleged deaths remained unclear, and details regarding where or how the victims reportedly died could not be independently verified.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Kwara State Police Command, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, said the command had not received any official report confirming the deaths of the abducted worshippers.
She said, “The command is not aware of such an incident, especially relating to the abductees being killed. Nonetheless, I will do my findings.”
The abduction occurred on March 22 when gunmen stormed the ECWA Church in Omugo during a worship service. Witnesses said the attackers fired shots sporadically to create panic before forcing worshippers into a nearby forest.
Eight church members were taken away during the attack, with police authorities later revealing that most of the victims were elderly individuals aged around 70 years.
Following the kidnapping, the abductors reportedly demanded a ransom of N1 billion for the victims’ release.
Although the ransom demand was later said to have been reduced during negotiations, reports indicated that relatives eventually paid N20 million along with food items and drinks. Despite the payment, the victims were reportedly not released.
Security agencies had earlier assured residents that efforts were ongoing to rescue the abductees and bring those responsible for the attack to justice.
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