For two weeks, a heavy cloud of silence and fear hung over the town of Eruku in Kwara State. But on Tuesday evening, that silence shattered not by the sound of gunshots, but by the roar of jubilation.
Thirty-eight worshippers, snatched from the pews of their church during a violent raid, finally returned home.
The nightmare began on November 18. It was meant to be a day of gratitude at the CAC Oke Isegun church. Instead, a Thanksgiving service turned into a scene of carnage when gunmen stormed the sanctuary.
In the chaos, three lives were lost, and dozens were marched into the forest, leaving their families in agonizing uncertainty.
The Long Journey Home
Tuesday brought the miracle the community had prayed for. At approximately 6:30 pm, a convoy wound its way back into Eruku.
As the vehicles came to a halt, the atmosphere transformed instantly. Relieved relatives, who had spent days vacillating between hope and despair, rushed forward. Tears flowed freely as husbands held wives and parents embraced children they feared they might never see again.
The Owa of Eruku, the traditional ruler of the town, watched the reunion with visible relief. He noted that the return of the worshippers had finally lifted the gloom that had settled over the community since the attack.
A State Intervention
Before the emotional homecoming, a formal process took place in Ilorin, the state capital.
Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, officially received the rescued victims from security operatives. Ensuring they were fit to return to their normal lives, the government provided immediate medical attention to the group.
Once cleared, the Governor handed them over to Awelewa Olawale Gabriel, the Chairman of Ekiti Local Government Area.
Awelewa described the rescue as the result of a tireless, coordinated effort between federal and state security agencies. He praised the swift response of the personnel who tracked the kidnappers through the forests to secure the victims’ freedom.
“Never Again”
While the town celebrates, local authorities are already looking to the future.
Chairman Awelewa expressed deep gratitude to President Bola Tinubu and the National Security Adviser for their support. However, he acknowledged that relief must be followed by action.
Addressing the shaken residents, he made a firm promise: the security architecture across all 10 wards of the Local Government Area will be reinforced immediately. For the people of Eruku, the return of their loved ones is a victory, but the memory of the November 18 attack serves as a stark reminder of the need for vigilance
