Community leaders in Aiyetoro Kiri, Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State, have narrated the traumatic ordeal faced by residents following a deadly attack by armed bandits on two churches, during which a seminary graduate was killed and at least 37 worshippers were abducted. The leaders requested anonymity for security reasons.

Speaking from the devastated community, the leaders said the attackers struck on Sunday, December 14, 2025, during worship services at the First ECWA Church and The Apostolic Church. According to them, the bandits surrounded the community and exploited the calm atmosphere of the services to launch a coordinated assault, leaving worshippers trapped and defenceless.

They explained that while some congregants managed to hide inside the Apostolic Church, many others, particularly children and elderly persons, were unable to escape.

As a result, no fewer than 37 worshippers were taken away. Among them, the leaders said, were more than 10 elderly persons aged over 70 and over 12 children between the ages of three and eight.

The leaders further narrated that the bandits operated freely for several hours without any security intervention. Some captives, they said, were forced at gunpoint to return to their homes to collect money before being taken to unknown destinations. During the attack, a student pastor, Jimoh Adeyemi, popularly known as JJ, who had recently returned from the seminary, was shot dead, while two other persons sustained injuries.

Describing the killing as heartbreaking, the community leaders said the young seminary graduate was full of promise and had just completed his theological training. His death, they noted, has plunged Aiyetoro Kiri into deep mourning.

They recalled that the latest attack is the third major security breach in the community this year. On March 27, 2025, five residents were kidnapped and held in captivity for over four months before regaining their freedom in July after a ransom was paid. Another incident occurred on November 26, 2025, when bandits passing through the community killed one person and carted away fuel.

According to the leaders, Aiyetoro Kiri has increasingly become a route used by bandits to access their hideouts, a situation they attributed to the absence of a sustained government-backed security presence in the area. They warned that without urgent intervention, the community and the wider Bunu District would remain exposed to further attacks.

As of the fourth day after the incident, the leaders said the abducted worshippers were still being held captive, despite confirmation of the attack by government authorities. They added that the kidnappers contacted the community on December 15, claiming they wanted the government’s attention, and on December 16 demanded a ransom of ₦600 million, threatening dire consequences if their demand was not met.

They called on the federal and state governments, security agencies and relevant authorities to act swiftly to secure the release of the abducted worshippers and prevent further bloodshed, warning that continued silence and slow response have left the people of Aiyetoro Kiri, Kiri land and the entire Bunu District living in fear, with the lives of innocent worshippers hanging in the balance.