Fulani Ethnic Militia Stormed Service of Evangelical Church Winning All
By Onibiyo Segun
(Aiyetoro Kiri, Kabba-Bunu, Kogi State) – Community guards in central Nigeria have recovered seven church members abducted by alleged Fulani Ethnic gunmen during a raid on a rural worship service, days after families paid a ₦15 million ($10,527) ransom, TruthNigeria has learned.
For families of those still missing, the rescue brought relief but no closure, because community leaders said though three captives were found dead and at least 31 others remain missing.
“Seven came back. Thirty-one did not,” Ajayi said.
Ajayi added: “We are grateful, but we are not done crying.”
As vigilantes continue patrols and soldiers plan deeper forest incursions, rural communities remain caught between ransom economics and forest warfare, hoping the next rescue does not come too late.
The victims were seized on December 14, 2025, when armed men riding motorcycles stormed an Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) service in Aiyetoro Kiri, a farming settlement in Kogi State’s Middle Belt region. The attackers killed a seminary graduate and marched dozens of worshippers, including elderly people and children, into nearby forest terrain.
A video showing some of the recovered captives later circulated on social media:
A local outlet confirmed the vigilante-led recovery and the continued captivity of dozens more victims.
Ransom, Then Rescue
Relatives said the ransom was quietly pooled after days of negotiations, driven by fear that delays would cost lives.
“We sold crops, borrowed money, and begged friends,” said Daniel Ajayi, whose sister was among those recovered.
“We paid because we wanted them alive. Government did not give us money.”
Community sources said the vigilantes moved only after captors loosened control following payment – a pattern increasingly seen in kidnappings across Nigeria’s Middle Belt, where armed groups exploit forests beyond regular military patrols.
Where the Victims Were Found
The rescued worshippers were in thick forest near the Okeduro hills – an area of dense trees, tall grass, and narrow footpaths roughly 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) from a Nigerian Army forward operating base outside the town of Kabba.
The site lies about 150 kilometers (93 miles) northwest of Lokoja, Kogi State’s capital, a strategic city at the confluence of the Niger and Benue rivers in central Nigeria.
Lokoja anchors road networks linking the Middle Belt to Nigeria’s northwest and southwest.
Beyond Lokoja’s paved highways, the landscape breaks into farms, bush trails, and seasonal streams, terrain that allows AK-47-armed gangs to move between villages while avoiding security forces focused on major roads.
How the Abduction Began
On December 14, gunmen on motorcycles stormed ECWA church services in Aiyetoro Kiri, killing a seminary graduate and abducting dozens of worshippers.
Some captives were forced to return briefly to their homes to collect money before being marched into the forest, according to local accounts.
Kabba-Bunu lies southwest of Lokoja and is linked mainly by the Lokoja–Kabba–Ilorin highway, a key route connecting central Nigeria to the north-central and southwestern regions.
National media reported the attack and the growing alarm in the community.
Chief Zaccheus Yakubu, leader of the Kabba-Bunu vigilante network, said local knowledge not technology made the rescue possible.
“Our men relied on bush knowledge. We followed footprints, broken leaves, and where streams were crossed,” Yakubu told TruthNigeria.
“The forest is thick. Without people who know it, you will walk in circles.”
Vigilantes recovered the seven captives on December 20, he said, but arrived too late for three others who died from injuries and exhaustion.
State Government Response
Kogi State Commissioner for Information Kingsley Fanwo confirmed the recovery and acknowledged the vigilantes’ role, saying security agencies have intensified forest operations.
“We commend community efforts, but formal security forces are pursuing the remaining abductors and victims,” Fanwo said, adding that military and Department of State Services (DSS) units have expanded patrols around Kabba-Bunu and neighboring Yagba West.
A National Kidnapping Crisis
The Kogi abduction reflects a nationwide kidnapping crisis that is increasingly damaging Nigeria’s economy. Across the Middle Belt and the northwest, farmers abandon fields, traders avoid highways, and rural markets shrink as communities fear travel.
Food supply chains have been disrupted, agricultural output reduced, and prices pushed higher in urban centers, worsening inflation and job losses in Africa’s largest economy.
“These are logistics-based criminal groups. Once money changes hands, captors relax.
That’s when vigilantes can move,” said Dr. Ibrahim Sule, director of the Abuja Centre for Conflict Analysis.
Retired Army officer Col. Tunde Alabi (rtd) said proximity to military bases alone has failed to deter kidnappers.
“Troops control highways. Bandits control footpaths.
Until patrols dominate forests, kidnappers will keep exploiting that gap.” Alabi said.
Pattern of Violence in Kogi
The ECWA abduction fits a broader pattern of escalating attacks in Kogi State:
· Dec. 14, 2025: Mass abduction during the church attack in Aiyetoro Kiri.
· Dec. 8, 2025: Gunmen abducted travelers along the Kabba–Yagba West road.
· Nov. 28, 2025: Bandits attacked highways, killing a soldier and a vigilante; 21 travelers were rescued after military intervention.
TruthNigeria investigations show forest corridors in Kogi increasingly mirror kidnapping routes in neighboring Niger and Kaduna states, forming an interconnected criminal network.
Onibiyo Segun reports on terrorism and conflict for TruthNigeria.
