By Peter Omopo
The Evangelical Church Winning All has raised concern over what it described as the worsening wave of kidnappings and killings across communities in the Kwara South Senatorial District, urging authorities to take urgent steps to restore security in the area.
The church raised the alarm following a fresh attack in Oyatedo village in Irepodun Local Government Area of the state, where suspected kidnappers reportedly killed an ECWA member, Omoniyi Ajise, and abducted his wife along with four other residents.
The incident reportedly occurred on Wednesday while leaders of ECWA district councils in the state were holding a security meeting in Omu-Aran.
The development was disclosed in a communiqué issued after the meeting and made available on Thursday. The communiqué was jointly signed by the Chairman of the ECWA Joint District Church Councils Forum in Kwara State, Samuel Adewumi, and its Secretary, Joseph Agboluaje.
The meeting brought together leaders from the Ilorin, Omu-Aran, Igbaja, Oro-Ago and Fate-Tanke District Church Councils to deliberate on the growing security challenges affecting communities across the state and neighbouring areas.
According to the church leaders, the latest attack adds to a growing number of kidnapping incidents reported in communities around Oro-Ago, Babanla and other parts of the district.
They also disclosed that two elderly residents identified as Dada and Ishola were previously abducted in Ahun village but were later released after the kidnappers reportedly discovered their advanced age.
The church leaders described the security situation as alarming, noting that kidnappings and attacks had become frequent occurrences in several rural communities across the district.
They warned that the persistent insecurity was particularly affecting farmers during the peak of the cashew harvesting season, which serves as a major source of livelihood for residents.
According to the communiqué, many farmers have abandoned their farmlands due to fear of attacks, while communities now live under constant threat from criminal groups.
The forum also lamented that the worsening insecurity had forced the closure of several ECWA churches in affected communities as members and clergy fled their homes in search of safety.
It noted that many pastors were now without congregations, while economic activities in the affected communities had been severely disrupted, pushing many families into hardship.
The church leaders further stated that the security situation had deteriorated to a level where what was once considered abnormal had now become a regular occurrence in many communities.
They therefore called on the Federal Government, the Kwara State Government and relevant security agencies to urgently strengthen security operations across the affected areas.
The forum urged authorities to deploy more security personnel, improve intelligence gathering and adopt proactive measures to curb kidnapping and other criminal activities in Kwara South and neighbouring communities.
It also reiterated that protecting lives and property remained a fundamental responsibility of government.
Despite the challenges, the church assured that it would continue to support peace efforts through prayers and moral guidance while encouraging members to remain law-abiding.
The church leaders added that ECWA remained committed to promoting peace, unity and community development across the state.
When contacted, the spokesperson of the Kwara State Police Command, Superintendent of Police Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, said the command was not aware of the incident as no official report had been made.
She, however, assured that the police command was working tirelessly to ensure the safety of residents in the state.
According to her, the Inspector General of Police recently visited Kwara State and assured residents that efforts were underway to tackle banditry and related crimes in the state.
She also revealed that some suspects had recently been arrested and would be charged to court after the conclusion of investigations.
In recent months, security concerns have increased across several parts of Kwara State, particularly in rural communities located along forest areas and interstate routes linking the state with neighbouring Niger, Ekiti and Osun states, where residents have reported increased activities of kidnappers and armed gangs.
