Security forces in Ekiti State, in southwestern Nigeria, rescued this Saturday, July 4, the majority of the faithful who had remained kidnapped since April 28, when an armed group stormed a church and took them hostage. Authorities have confirmed, however, that one of the victims died during captivity.
According to a statement from the Ekiti State Police Command, the operation was made possible thanks to a joint action based on intelligence work involving the Nigerian Police, the Army, the regional security corps Amotekun, local hunters and the state government.
A joint operation after more than two months in captivity
Police command spokesperson Sunday Abutu explained that the rescue was the result of “sustained intelligence operations and coordinated efforts” among the various security forces deployed in the region.
The freed individuals were immediately taken to a medical center to undergo medical examinations and receive the necessary care after more than two months in the hands of their captors.
Ekiti State Police Commissioner Falade Adegoroye Micheal thanked the collaboration between the different security agencies and highlighted the logistical and institutional support provided by the state governor, Biodun Oyebanji, during the operation.
Search for the kidnappers continues
Security forces maintain a large-scale operation to locate and arrest those responsible for the kidnapping, in a region where ransom kidnappings have become a serious threat to the population.
The Police also called on citizens to cooperate with the authorities by reporting any suspicious activity that could help prevent new kidnappings.
Nigeria continues to be one of the countries where priests, religious figures and Christian faithful are most frequently victims of kidnappings and attacks carried out by armed groups, especially in the north and center of the country, although violence is also increasingly affecting other regions.