• Unknown Number Killed, Abducted at CAC Oke Isegun
• Actress Accuses Authorities of “False” Accounts
• A Live Video that Shocked the Nation
By Franklin Adole
Eruku community in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State was thrown into chaos Tuesday after armed bandits invaded Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Oke Isegun, and according to the police, killed two persons, and abducted worshippers, in an attack captured in a chilling live video that has since frightened Nigerians nationwide.
The congregation was in the middle of a church programme ahead of a night vigil when gunmen opened fire from outside, sending worshippers diving for cover. In the viral footage, members were seen crouching behind plastic chairs as rapid, continuous gunshots echoed across the building.
Despite frantic attempts to hide, the attackers eventually broke into the church premises. The video showed one gunman leaving the sanctuary with bags believed to belong to fleeing worshippers. At least two of the assailants were masked, while another was seen using a flashlight as they prowled the compound.
Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, confirmed the attack late Tuesday, saying security operatives moved in as the assault unfolded.
“Yes, the community is under attack. I am presently in touch with my DPO and we learnt it was repelled immediately, but one person was killed. That’s all I can say for now,” he stated.
However, that official account sparked immediate controversy.
Film star Bukola Awoyemi, popularly known as Bukola Arugba, who hails from Eruku, publicly rejected claims that the assault was merely an “attempted” attack. Responding to a statement attributed to the Kwara State First Lady, Olufolake AbdulRazaq, which appeared to downplay the incident, the actress said the government narrative “totally contradicts the sad truth.”
In an emotional Instagram video, she said:
“I read a press release on the Kwara State First Lady’s page regarding the bandit attack in my home, Eruku, Ekiti LGA, Kwara State, which totally contradicts the sad truth. This video is to address and correct the report released on your page, Madam. The information you got from the Kwara State Police is false.”
Arugba insisted the attack was not repelled, but fully successful and deadly.
“This involves my people directly. We all saw the video; they were streaming live while the church program was going on. It was a successful attack, not an attempted attack. I was in so much pain when I saw the release that it was an attempted attack, that nobody died, and that people were in the hospital. A lot of people were abducted; three people are dead.”
The actress also confirmed that some of the abducted victims are her relatives.
“I have spoken to a lot of people from my town, my cousins, my uncles. Presently, three to four of my cousins are in the bandits’ den; they have been abducted. Evangelist Titi Balogun is right there; she is my mum’s younger sister. Ebenezer Aina is presently there; that is my cousin’s son. So, it was a successful attack, and not an attempted one as the Kwara First Lady claimed.”
She accused authorities of releasing “false” information.
“Everyone is crying in my town now because we don’t even know if they will be found dead or alive. It is so painful that we are seeing what we saw on your page; the reports on your page are false. It totally contradicts what actually happened.”
The attack, livestreamed in real time, triggered widespread outrage online as Nigerians condemned the escalating insecurity and government response.
@ikemefuna wrote: “Wake up Nigerians!! The youths piss me off the most… My soul boils!”
@felixhebt said: “This is very sad and inhumane. For the past decade, no terrorist has been sentenced to death by the Federal Government.”
Another user, @felixodeli, lamented: “This is happening in a supposedly ‘sovereign country’. Any country that cannot protect the lives and properties of its citizens is a failed state.”
@ohwezi added: “We must put pressure on our leaders to act fast… Now is the time to put an end to insecurity in this country.”
The Kwara attack came just hours after terrorists abducted schoolgirls in Kebbi State, deepening nationwide fears over rising insecurity and the spread of violent extremist operations into previously safer zones.
As Eruku mourns its dead and families wait for news of abducted loved ones, the horrifying livestream remains a stark symbol of a nation struggling to contain relentless armed violence — and of a community demanding the truth about what really happened inside the walls of CAC Oke Isegun.
Discover more from Keeping Them Honest
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.