The Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in Kwara State has raised serious concerns over what it described as a worsening wave of kidnappings and killings across communities in the Kwara South Senatorial District, urging authorities to take urgent action to restore security.
The call followed a fresh attack in Oyatedo village, Irepodun Local Government Area, where suspected kidnappers reportedly killed an ECWA member, Omoniyi Ajise, and abducted his wife alongside four other residents. The incident occurred on Wednesday while leaders of ECWA district councils in the state were holding a security meeting in Omu-Aran, according to a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting.
The communiqué, made available to the PUNCH on Thursday, was signed by the Chairman of the ECWA Joint District Church Councils Forum in Kwara, Samuel Adewumi, and its Secretary, Joseph Agboluaje.
The meeting, which brought together leaders from Ilorin, Omu-Aran, Igbaja, Oro-Ago, and Fate-Tanke district councils, deliberated on the growing security challenges affecting communities in the state and neighbouring areas.
ECWA leaders noted that the latest attack added to a growing number of incidents across Oro-Ago, Babanla, and surrounding communities. They recalled that in a previous incident in Ahun village, two elderly residents, identified only as Dada and Ishola, were abducted but later released after the kidnappers discovered their advanced age.
The church described the security situation as “alarming”, emphasising that kidnappings and violent attacks had become frequent in several rural communities. They warned that persistent insecurity was particularly affecting farmers at the peak of the cashew harvesting season, a major source of livelihood for residents. Many farmers have reportedly abandoned their farms, while entire communities live under the constant threat of criminal gangs.
The communiqué also lamented that insecurity had forced the closure of several ECWA churches, as members and clergy fled their homes. “Many pastors are now without congregations, while members and residents have been compelled to flee their homes. Economic activities have been severely disrupted, and many families have been pushed into hardship,” it read.
The forum called on the Federal Government, Kwara State Government, and security agencies to strengthen security operations across affected areas, stressing that protection of lives and property remains a fundamental government responsibility. They urged authorities to deploy more security personnel, improve intelligence gathering, and adopt proactive strategies to curb kidnappings and other criminal activities.
When contacted, the Kwara State Police Command said no official report of the incident had been made. Superintendent of Police Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi assured that the command was working round the clock to ensure residents’ safety, highlighting recent arrests and the Inspector-General of Police’s visit to the state as evidence of ongoing efforts.
Recent months have seen rising insecurity across parts of Kwara, particularly in rural communities bordering forests and interstate routes linking the state with Niger, Ekiti, and Osun states, where residents report increased activity from kidnappers and armed gangs.
