A wave of grief has swept through a church community in Kwara State following the death of five worshippers who were abducted during a church service and held captive by kidnappers for more than two months.
The victims were among eight members of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in Omugo, Oro Ago District of Ifelodun Local Government Area, who were seized by armed men during a Sunday worship service on March 22, 2026.
The church’s resident minister, Rev. Timothy Omole, disclosed the tragic development in a message shared with members of the congregation and later confirmed it during a telephone conversation on Wednesday.
According to the cleric, information received from one of the abductees who escaped from captivity revealed that five of those kidnapped had died, while three others remain in the hands of their captors.
Expressing deep sorrow over the incident, Omole said the development had left the church devastated. Among those confirmed dead was his wife, Mrs Rachael Oluwaremilekun Omole.
The deceased were identified as Elder Chief David Omopariola, Chief Joseph Ibitoye Afariogun, Mrs Iyabo Aniyi, Elder Joshua Akanbi Adeyemi, and Mrs Rachael Oluwaremilekun Omole.
The pastor said the information was conveyed by Mr Sunday Bakare, one of the kidnapped worshippers, who reportedly regained his freedom after spending more than a month in captivity.
Bakare was said to have informed church leaders that five members of the group had died while the remaining three were still being held by the kidnappers.
Sources familiar with the situation disclosed that some of the victims had underlying health conditions and were reportedly denied access to their medications while in captivity.
However, the exact circumstances surrounding their deaths have yet to be established.
The abduction occurred when heavily armed men stormed the church during worship, firing shots and causing panic among congregants before abducting eight worshippers and taking them into a nearby forest.
Following the attack, the kidnappers reportedly demanded a ransom of N1 billion for the victims’ release.
The demand was later reduced to N150 million during negotiations, according to the church leadership.
Family members and sympathisers were said to have raised about N20 million and supplied food items and other materials allegedly requested by the abductors in an effort to secure the release of the victims.
Despite the payments and negotiations, the captors reportedly failed to free the hostages.
As of the time of filing this report, three worshippers were still believed to be in captivity, while family members and church leaders continued to hope for their safe return.