A traditional ruler and Christian leaders in Kogi State have taken the drastic step of suspending all church activities indefinitely, following a series of violent attacks targeting worshippers. The Obaro of Kabba, Oba Solomon Owoniyi, in collaboration with the Kabba/Bunu Local Government chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), issued the directive after armed men stormed a Sunday service, leaving one dead and kidnapping several others.
The order, communicated in a notice from CAN Coordinator Rev. Kayode Osatuyi, states the closure is due to “credible security reports” of planned attacks by bandits. This decision overrides a prior state government advisory that allowed restricted worship hours, highlighting the severe escalation of local threats.
The church suspension is a direct response to a rapid sequence of security breaches. The violence began on November 30, 2025, with an attack on a Cherubim and Seraphim Church in Ejiba town, where a pastor, his wife, and several members were abducted. Kidnappers initially demanded a ₦500 million ransom. This was followed on December 14 by a more brazen assault, when gunmen attacked the First Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in Ayetoro Kiri during Sunday service. In that incident, one worshipper was killed, and between 13 and 20 individuals were abducted. Mid-December also saw security operatives uncover a massive cache of arms and ammunition in criminal hideouts within the state following a joint operation.
The recent assault on the ECWA church in Ayetoro Kiri illustrates the attackers’ methods. According to officials and local reports, armed assailants arrived on motorcycles, fired shots to cause panic, and abducted worshippers before fleeing into nearby forests. In the aftermath, a joint security task force—including the army, police, and local hunters—engaged the assailants. Kogi State Information Commissioner Kingsley Fanwo confirmed that five attackers were killed in a firefight, with operations continuing in the Ejiba forest to locate the kidnapped victims.
The violence in Kogi occurs within a broader, troubling context of insecurity. Officials point to Kogi State’s geographic vulnerability, as it shares borders with ten other states, making it a transit corridor for criminal groups. Commissioner Fanwo suggested that security operations in neighbouring Niger and Kwara states are pushing bandits toward Kogi. This aligns with reports of attacks on 34 communities in the Kogi West Senatorial District within eight months, mirroring a wider surge of kidnappings in Nigeria’s north-central and north-western regions.
Confronted by these threats, state authorities have announced stronger measures. Governor Ahmed Ododo issued an Executive Proclamation on Security Protocols, which mandates severe penalties for anyone collaborating with criminals, including the forfeiture of properties used to aid them. The governor also established a Security Monitoring Team to guard border points and vowed that the state “will never negotiate with” criminals.
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