At least five persons have been killed and several others abducted after suspected bandits launched two separate attacks in Eruku, a boundary town with Kogi State in the Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, on Tuesday.
In the first incident, the attackers stormed a branch of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) during a special service, shooting sporadically before targeting worshippers.
In a live stream video obtained by First Daily correspondent on Tuesday night, three worshippers were shot dead on the spot, while the pastor and an unspecified number of congregants were whisked away into the bush.
The exact number of abducted victims remains unclear, but sources said the gunmen escaped through bush paths leading to neighbouring communities in Kogi State.
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Earlier in the evening, the bandits reportedly launched another violent attack along the Ilorin–Kabba Road, forcing travellers and residents to abandon their vehicles and flee into nearby bushes.
Kwara has witnessed a disturbing rise in banditry, killings, and kidnappings for ransom in recent months, with border communities bearing the brunt of repeated assaults.
Last Friday, a joint team of police officers and vigilantes killed a suspected bandit during a gun battle at Adekanbi village, near Bode-Saadu in the Moro LG of the state.