Ekiti community protests as 16 worshippers remain in captivity after ₦10.5m ransom payment

Residents of Eda-Oniyo community in Ekiti State have protested the continued captivity of 16 worshippers abducted during a church service, saying the victims remain in kidnappers’ custody despite the payment of ₦10.5 million ransom and other demanded items.

Residents of Eda-Oniyo Community in Ilejemeje Local Government Area of Ekiti State on Monday staged a peaceful protest over the continued captivity of 16 residents abducted by gunmen during a church service, despite the payment of ₦10.5 million ransom and other items demanded by their captors. The protesters, including community leaders, women, youths and relatives of the victims, accused authorities of failing to secure the release of the abductees, who have remained in captivity for 36 days. The victims were kidnapped on April 28, 2026, when armed men suspected to be bandits invaded a Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) during a worship service, killing the church’s presiding pastor and abducting 16 worshippers.

Speaking during the protest, community leader Ayodele Ajayi said residents had exhausted their resources in efforts to secure the freedom of their loved ones after the kidnappers reduced their initial demand of ₦1 billion to ₦150 million and later ₦50 million. According to him, the community eventually raised and paid ₦10.5 million, but the victims were not released. “Our people have been in captivity for 36 days. We contributed what we could as a community and paid ₦10.5million, but the kidnappers refused to release them. Instead, they are demanding more money. There are 16 victims in total. Most of them are women, while two are young boys. We are pleading with governments at all levels to come to our aid and rescue our people,” Ajayi said. Another resident, Mrs Ajayi, lamented the continued detention of children and elderly persons, saying, “We have children as young as two and three years old and an elderly woman who is over 80 years old among those kidnapped. Families are suffering, and children keep asking for their mothers. We are begging the federal, state and local governments to help secure their release. Women are crying, children are crying, and the entire community is in pain.”

A community representative, Ayodele Oni, said residents felt abandoned despite complying with all the demands made by the abductors. “We raised ₦10.5million, supplied two bags of rice and several other items they requested, including fuel and cigarettes. Yet our people are still being held,” he said. Oni described the process of delivering the ransom as traumatic, alleging that community representatives travelled through parts of Kwara and Kogi states and trekked deep into forests before handing over the money. The protesters also called for the establishment of a permanent security post in Eda-Oniyo and a military base along the Ekiti-Kwara boundary, which they said has become a major route for criminal gangs operating across the region, adding that inadequate security presence has left communities vulnerable to repeated attacks.

READ THE FULL STORY IN SAHARA REPORTERS