On Sunday morning this week, the secluded community of Ejiba in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State was jolted by a brazen attack on a place of worship. Gunmen stormed a newly established Cherubim and Seraphim Church during its early morning service, abducting the pastor, his wife, and several members of the congregation.
Eyewitnesses reported chaos as worshippers fled for their lives, gunshots ringing through the area, leaving the community in panic and disbelief.  The number of those abducted has not been confirmed, even as local authorities confirmed that the rescue operation is ongoing. 
In response, the state government of Kogi urged residents to reconsider holding worship services in areas deemed “crime-prone.” The call was made by the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Kingsley Fanwo, who described the attack as a deeply troubling development and reiterated the urgency of community vigilance. 
Fanwo appealed to citizens to be alert and to report any “unusual activities,” stressing that timely intelligence from locals remains crucial for security agencies to act effectively. He also noted that the perpetrators may have been hiding within the community or nearby bushes for days before the attack, a possibility that raised sharp criticism toward those who allegedly saw “strange faces” but did not alert security forces.
This incident is not isolated. Only on November 18, a worship branch of Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) at Oke Isegun in the Eruku community, a boundary town on the Kogi–Kwara border, had been attacked, and worshippers abducted. Reports indicate that all those previously kidnapped have since been rescued, following intervention by the federal government.
In light of these escalating threats, the state government has responded with tighter security measures. Under directives from Ahmed Usman Ododo, the Governor of Kogi, a coordinated security scheme has been launched to patrol vulnerable public spaces, including churches, mosques, and schools. Joint teams from the police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Department of State Services (DSS), local vigilante groups, and traditional rulers have been deployed to remote and border communities.
As part of the state’s prevention plan, all worship centres and public gathering places have been instructed to shut down by 4:00 pm daily until further notice. The directive aims to reduce the vulnerability of churches and other public institutions to nighttime raids and kidnappings.
Samuel Aina