‘Help us’: Bandits release disturbing video of abducted ECWA

Bandits have released a video showing members of the First Evangelical Church Winning All Church (ECWA) abducted in Kogi State pleading with the government to rescue them.

The 38-second footage, shared by an online platform, Egbe Mekun Parrot, showed several frail-looking elderly persons and young children standing in what appeared to be a forest, believed to be a bandits’ hideout.

News Region had previously reported that the victims were abducted during a deadly attack on the Aiyetoro Kiri community in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of the state on Sunday, December 14, 2025.

The assailants stormed the community during a peaceful Sunday worship service at the First ECWA Church and the Apostolic Church, killing a seminary graduate and abducting no fewer than 37 worshippers.

The deceased, identified as Student Pastor Jimoh Adeyemi, popularly known as J.J., was said to have recently returned to the community after completing his seminary training.

The attackers surrounded the community and targeted worshippers at the churches, taking advantage of the peaceful gathering,” one of the sources who spoke with SaharaReporters disclosed.

According to eyewitness accounts, while some worshippers managed to hide inside the Apostolic Church, many others, particularly children and elderly members, were unable to escape.

“Children who couldn’t escape were abducted. Among the kidnapped victims were more than 10 elderly people who were over 70 years of age and over 12 children ranging from three to eight years old,” the source added.

Two other residents were reportedly injured during the raid.

Residents described the attack as brazen, saying the bandits operated freely in the community for several hours without resistance.

Eyewitnesses said some of the captives were even forced to return to their homes to collect ransom money before being taken away by the attackers. Community members lamented that the scale and coordination of the attack were unprecedented in the area.

Kogi State is among the states in Nigeria where bandits have stepped up their attacks in recent months, storming churches and abducting worshippers. In response to the increasing wave of attacks, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared all armed non-state actors as terrorists.