Aiyetoro Kiri Leaders Recount Horror as Bandits Abduct 37 Worshippers, Kill Seminary Graduate

Community leaders in Aiyetoro Kiri, Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State, have recounted the harrowing experience of residents after armed bandits carried out a deadly attack on two churches, killing a seminary graduate and abducting no fewer than 37 worshippers. The leaders said they chose to remain anonymous due to security concerns.

According to the leaders, the attackers struck on Sunday, December 14, 2025, while worship services were ongoing at the First ECWA Church and The Apostolic Church. They said the bandits took advantage of the peaceful atmosphere of the services, surrounding the community and launching a coordinated assault that left worshippers helpless.

They explained that although some congregants managed to hide inside the Apostolic Church, many others—especially children and elderly persons—were unable to flee from the attackers.

In the process, at least 37 worshippers were taken hostage. Those abducted, the leaders said, included more than 10 elderly persons above the age of 70 and over 12 children aged between three and eight.

The leaders further disclosed that the bandits operated unhindered for several hours, with no security presence in sight. Some of the captives were reportedly forced at gunpoint to return to their homes to collect money before being led away to unknown locations. During the attack, a student pastor, Jimoh Adeyemi, popularly known as JJ, who had just returned from the seminary, was shot dead, while two other residents sustained injuries.

They described the killing of the young seminary graduate as devastating, noting that he was full of promise and had only recently completed his theological training. His death, they said, has thrown the entire Aiyetoro Kiri community into mourning.

The leaders recalled that the incident marked the third major security breach in the community in 2025. On March 27, five residents were kidnapped and held captive for over four months before they were released in July after a ransom was paid. Another attack occurred on November 26, when bandits passing through the area killed one person and made away with fuel.

According to them, Aiyetoro Kiri has increasingly become a transit route for bandits accessing their hideouts, a development they blamed on the lack of a sustained government-backed security presence. They warned that without urgent intervention, the community and the wider Bunu District would remain vulnerable to further attacks.

Four days after the incident, the leaders said the abducted worshippers were still in captivity, despite official confirmation of the attack by government authorities. They added that the kidnappers first contacted the community on December 15, saying they wanted the government’s attention, and on December 16 demanded a ransom of ₦600 million, threatening severe consequences if their demand was ignored.

They appealed to the federal and state governments, security agencies and other relevant authorities to act swiftly to secure the release of the abducted worshippers and prevent further loss of lives, warning that the continued delay has left Aiyetoro Kiri, Kiri land and the entire Bunu District gripped by fear, with innocent lives hanging in the balance.