Kwara Church Kidnap Survivor Recounts Harrowing Ordeal in Bandits’ Forest Camp

A survivor of the November 18 attack on Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara State, has given a chilling account of the conditions he and dozens of other worshippers endured while in captivity. He was among the 38 abducted victims later rescued by security operatives, a development President Bola Tinubu acknowledged on Sunday.

Speaking to TVC, the survivor recounted how the attackers struck shortly after the evening service began. He said the congregation had barely settled into the programme when gunfire erupted around the church, sending worshippers into confusion before they were forced into the surrounding forest.

He recalled initially mistaking the sound for an electrical fault, only to realise moments later that armed men had surrounded the building. Some worshippers, he said, noticed bloodstains at the entrance as the attackers moved them out of the premises.

The victims were led deep into the forest, an area the abductors claimed to control. The survivor said the group openly described themselves as bandits and repeatedly bragged about their grip on the region, insisting that no captive could escape.

According to him, the attackers navigated the terrain with ease, showing familiarity with routes linking several parts of Kwara and neighbouring states. He described the experience as “unimaginable,” noting that the victims quickly realised they had been taken into territory dominated by their captors.

Rescued victims have since received medical care, while the church community in Eruku has held sobriety gatherings as it continues to grapple with the aftermath of the attack.