Ekiti Church Worshippers Freed After 67 Days — What Was Actually Paid, and What Governor Oyebanji Said About Politicizing the Case

 

The 16 worshippers abducted during a deadly attack on a Christ Apostolic Church crusade in Eda-Oniyo, Ekiti State, have been freed after 67 days in captivity — but new details emerging since their release paint a fuller, more complicated picture than the official police statement alone suggested.

What happened, and what it cost

The victims were taken on April 28, 2026, when armed gunmen invaded the church's open-air crusade, killing the officiating pastor before abducting 16 worshippers — mostly women and young children — and marching them into the forest. The kidnappers initially demanded ₦1 billion, later reduced to ₦50 million. While the Ekiti State Police Command's official statement credited the release to sustained intelligence-led operations involving the police, military, Amotekun Corps, and local hunters, community sources have separately alleged that the abductors actually collected a total of ₦25.5 million in ransom, along with 150 litres of petrol, five bags of rice, and cartons of noodles before finally releasing the captives — a detail notably absent from the official account.

A tragic loss

One victim, an elderly woman, died while in captivity. Local government chairman Alaba Dada confirmed the mixed emotions surrounding the release: relief that most were freed, tempered by grief over the loss. The surviving victims are receiving treatment at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, with Governor Biodun Oyebanji directing the hospital to provide comprehensive medical screening and instructing the state to cover all treatment costs until they're certified fit to reunite with their families.

The response, and a pointed message

Commissioner of Police Falade Adegoroye commended the multi-agency effort and confirmed investigations remain ongoing to identify and prosecute those responsible. Governor Oyebanji thanked President Tinubu for his support in securing the release, alongside the state's traditional rulers and the Christian Association of Nigeria. Notably, Oyebanji also used the moment to directly address people he described as "politicizing" the incident on social media, urging them to instead collaborate with the government on building a safer state — a comment that suggests the case had become a point of political friction even as families were still processing their relief and grief.

Why the ransom discrepancy matters

The gap between the official narrative (a rescue via security operations) and the community's account (a ransom payment) isn't a minor detail — it reflects a recurring tension in how Nigerian authorities publicly describe kidnapping resolutions versus what communities on the ground say actually happened. Whether through negotiation, ransom, or genuine security intervention, the people of Eda Oniyo are simply relieved to have their neighbors home, even as the full truth of how that freedom was secured remains contested.

What's next

Investigations to identify and prosecute the perpetrators remain ongoing, though no arrests had been publicly confirmed as of this writing. The case remains a stark reminder of  the ongoing kidnapping-for-ransom crisis affecting communities across different parts of Nigeria.