The Ekiti State Police Command has rescued 16 worshippers abducted during a deadly attack on a Christ Apostolic Church prayer programme at Eda Oniyo in Ilejemeje Local Government Area.
The victims were kidnapped on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, after armed men stormed the prayer ground, killed the presiding pastor and fled into the forest with the worshippers.
Announcing the breakthrough on Saturday, July 4, 2026, the command said the victims were rescued through a sustained intelligence-led operation involving the police, the military, Amotekun Corps, local hunters and other security agencies, with support from the Ekiti State Government.
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Police spokesperson, SP Sunday Abutu, said the rescued worshippers had been taken for medical evaluation, while efforts were ongoing to arrest members of the criminal gang behind the attack.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Joseph Eribo Falade Adegoroye, credited the successful operation to effective inter-agency collaboration and actionable intelligence.
He also commended residents who provided useful information and urged the public to continue supporting security agencies with credible intelligence.
The rescue ends more than two months of uncertainty for the victims and their families and marks a major breakthrough in the investigation into the April 28 church attack.