Five abducted residents of Kwara community feared dead while in bandit captivity

Five worshippers who were kidnapped during the violent attack on the ECWA Church in Omugo, Oro Ago District, Ifelodun Local Government Area, Kwara State, are reported to have died while in the hands of the terrorists.

Zubair Olaitan, coordinator of the Kwara South Joint Security, confirmed the information to DAILY POST on Wednesday.

The claim came from reports emerging from the terrorists’ camp, including statements from one of the abductees who managed to escape the armed gang.

Sources say that Rachel Oluwaremilekun Omole, the wife of the church pastor, is among those who were killed, along with four other abductees.

One source stated, “Five of the Omugo abductees have died in captivity,” but the circumstances of the deaths remain unclear.

“No details of how and where they died,” the source added, citing information allegedly supplied by the escaped victim. The source also said the tragic news had already been conveyed to the families.

“The sad news has been broken to the families of the deceased,” the source said, noting that relatives were thrown into mourning after the revelation.

The victims were among the worshippers abducted on March 22, 2026, when heavily armed gunmen stormed the ECWA Church in Omugo during a service in the Oro Ago area.

Witnesses reported that the attackers opened fire inside and around the church, creating panic before taking about eight worshippers into nearby forests.

After the abduction, the kidnappers reportedly contacted the families through the father of one of the abductees and demanded a ₦1 billion ransom for the release of the victims.

Sources say the amount was later reduced during negotiations. Attempts by relatives to secure the captives’ freedom—including the delivery of about ₦20 million, food supplies, and hot drinks requested by the abductors—proved unsuccessful, and the captives were not released.

Security agencies had earlier announced that joint rescue operations were underway to locate the victims and apprehend those responsible for the attack.

At the time of filing this report on Wednesday, official confirmation from authorities regarding the reported deaths had not yet been obtained.