Thirty-eight members of a Nigerian church recently abducted by bandits have been freed.
Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, announced their freedom on Sunday, November 23.
The worshippers were abducted by gunmen who stormed their church, Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Oke-Isegun, Eruku, Kwara State, North Central Nigeria, on Monday, November 16.
During the incident, the gunmen killed three members of the church.
In a statement by his media aide, Rafiu Ajakaye, Governor AbdulRazak attributed their release to President Bola Tinubu, who he said personally led the effort.
He did not, however, explain how the abductees were rescued.
“After many days of hard work by security forces and government representatives, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq is excited to announce the freedom of 38 persons who were recently abducted in an attack on Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) Eruku, Ekiti LGA, Kwara State,” it partly read.
The state government attributed the rescue of the victims to the “hands-on approach” of President Bola Tinubu, who, it said, “personally led the efforts” to free the abductees.
“The governor is immensely grateful to President Bola Tinubu for his direct initiative that made this happen.
“The President had called off his scheduled trip for the G20 Meeting in South Africa to attend to the breaches in Kwara and Kebbi states.
“He had also directed heightened security deployments to Kwara, in what underlined his firm commitment to the safety and well-being of our people and Nigerians as a whole,” the statement said.
AbdulRazak commended the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Intelligence Agency, and the Nigeria Police for their contributions in securing the freedom of the worshippers.
“The governor also thanks members of the security forces across board, thought leaders, religious institutions, and all Kwarans for their support and goodwill since the unfortunate incident,” the statement added.
Nigerian leader confirms release
In a terse statement he personally signed on that same Sunday, President Tinubu confirmed the freedom of the worshippers and the escape of 50 students of another Catholic church.
He praised the efforts of the security forces over the last few days, resulting in the freedom of the 38 Christians.
He said, “My fellow Nigerians,
“You will recall that I cancelled my trip to the G20 summit in South Africa to enable me coordinate the security efforts at home.
“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.
“I am equally happy that 51 out of the missing students of the Catholic School in Niger State have been recovered.
“I am closely monitoring the security situation nationwide and receiving continuous updates from the frontline.
“Let me be clear: I will not relent. Every Nigerian, in every state, has the right to safety — and under my watch, we will secure this nation and protect our people.”