Gunmen killed three worshippers and abducted 15 others during an attack on a prayer ground in Kwara State’s Ekiti Local Government Area, police said on Sunday.
The attack occurred late on Saturday at Ori-Oke Ajaiye, near Ikiran Village, where members of a congregation were holding a night vigil when armed assailants stormed the site and opened fire, according to the Kwara State Police Command.
Police spokesperson Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi said the gunmen killed three people and took 15 others to an unknown destination before fleeing the area.
Commissioner of Police Adekimi Ojo condemned the attack, describing it as barbaric and unacceptable, and ordered a coordinated rescue operation involving intelligence units, police tactical teams and drone assets.
The police said officers were deployed to the scene immediately after receiving a distress report and have intensified search operations, intelligence gathering and bush-combing efforts to locate the abducted victims and arrest the attackers.
The latest assault adds to a series of attacks on worship centres in Kwara State, raising fresh concerns about security in rural communities.