Three of the seven worshippers recently released after being abducted from the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in Ayetoro-Kiri in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State, have d!ed.
The victims were among over 38 worshippers, including elderly persons, women and children, abducted on December 14, 2025, when bandits invaded the church during a service, after which the assailants reportedly demanded millions of naira as ransom.
The community’s spokesperson, Mr David Ampitan, said seven abductees were released at the weekend after “painful ransom payments.”
He disclosed that three of the freed victims d!ed shortly after their release, including an elderly woman whose corpse was yet to be recovered from the bush, while the remaining four were currently receiving treatment in the hospital.
Ampitan lamented the worsening insecurity in Bunu land, accusing authorities of negligence.
He demanded urgent intervention to secure the release of the remaining 31 abductees and avert a growing humanitarian crisis.
In response, the Kogi State Government reaffirmed its commitment to a sustained crackdown on criminal elements.
In a statement, the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Kingsley Fanwo, said the security agencies were actively tracking the criminals and conducting operations to rescue all the captives.
Meanwhile, youths in Kabba, on January 2, 2026, protested rising insecurity, blocking the Kabba–Obajana–Lokoja highway before being dispersed by the police.