The Kogi State government has advised worship centers in insecure areas to consider relocating after gunmen attacked a Cherubim and Seraphim Church in Ejiba, abducting the pastor, his wife, and other worshippers. Commissioner for Information Kingsley Fanwo said, “Worship Centres in the outskirts should also reconsider worshipping in crime-prone areas for now until the situation gets better.
Worshipping in the bush without security in this era, just a few weeks after worshippers were abducted from a church in Kwara State, to me is not ideal. We all need to be security conscious at this time. We also need to volunteer intelligence.” Governor Usman Ahmed Ododo added that bandit commanders had recently relocated to Kogi to intensify attacks, but assured that the government would take the fight to their hideouts. He emphasized, “We are not going to bow to the criminals, we are not going to negotiate with them; we are not going to pay ransom, we are going to sensitise our people to be security conscious of their activities.” The State Security Council has also mandated that all public activities, including religious gatherings, end by 4 pm until further notice.