Worship Centres in outskirts should pause operations – Kogi Govt warns after kidnap attack

The Kogi State Government has advised worship centres located in high-risk or isolated areas to temporarily suspend operations until the security situation in the state improves.

The caution follows Sunday’s attack on a newly established Cherubim and Seraphim Church in Ejiba, Yagba West LGA, where gunmen stormed an early morning service and abducted the pastor, his wife, and several worshippers.

Speaking on the development, Kingsley Fanwo, the state’s Commissioner for Information, urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities or unfamiliar faces within their communities.

Fanwo said security agencies, in collaboration with local vigilante structures, have already activated search-and-rescue operations.

“I am aware that the security network, comprising the conventional security agencies and our local security architecture, are currently doing what they should do,” he said.

“We have no definitive figures yet as we await security agencies to carry out their findings and report back to the public.”

He stressed the need for citizens to take personal safety seriously, noting that early information can help avert attacks.

“We urge the citizens to be security-conscious and also report suspicious movements and faces to security agencies. When you see something, say something.

“Worship centres on the outskirts should also reconsider worshipping in crime-prone areas for now until the situation gets better,” he added.

The attack comes just weeks after bandits invaded a Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) in the Oke Isegun area of Eruku, a community bordering Kogi in Kwara State, abducting several worshippers.

President Bola Tinubu announced last week that all victims of the Eruku attack had been rescued.

Join Very Nigerian WhatsApp Community
For Quick Access To News and Happenings
Around You.