Gunmen attacked a Christian prayer ground in Nigeria’s north-central Kwara State on Saturday, leaving three worshippers dead and fifteen missing.
The assailants stormed the Ori-Oke Ajaiye prayer ground during a religious gathering, opening fire before fleeing into the surrounding bushland.
Terrified worshippers scattered into the dense vegetation as bullets shattered the sacred silence of the peaceful community in Ekiti.
Police authorities confirmed that tactical and intelligence teams have launched urgent search operations to rescue the deeply traumatized captives.
Security operatives deployed heavily across the rural settlement, tracking footsteps left by the fleeing militants through the rugged terrain.
This violent assault underscores a dangerous surge in armed kidnappings within a region historically celebrated for its enduring tranquility.
Blood spilled on holy ground marks a grim escalation in attacks targeting vulnerable faith communities across this vast West African nation.
The attack painfully echoes a similar tragedy last November, when gunmen ruthlessly raided another local church during a weekend service.
Terrified residents now face an creeping tide of insecurity as armed criminal syndicates expand their lucrative, lawless kidnap-for-ransom operations.
The nation watches anxiously while security forces race against time to bring the stolen worshippers back home alive.