A pastor affiliated with the Living Faith Church, widely known as Winners Chapel, was reportedly abducted by armed assailants on Saturday in Kogi State, Nigeria. The incident occurred as the cleric was en route to his farm in Okoro Gbedde, located within the Ijumu Local Government Area, raising fresh alarms over the persistent security challenges plaguing the region.
Eyewitness accounts indicate that the pastor was traveling on a motorcycle along the Okeoffin–Okoro Gbedde axis, accompanied by a commercial rider, when the attack unfolded. Sources close to the investigation described how the pastor attempted to evade his captors by dismounting the motorcycle, while the commercial rider successfully escaped the scene unharmed. The pastor was subsequently seized and taken to an undisclosed location.
Authorities and family members have yet to establish contact with the kidnappers, and no ransom demand has been issued as of the latest reports. This latest abduction has intensified an already palpable climate of fear and anxiety among residents of Okoro Gbedde and its surrounding communities, highlighting a worrying trend of insecurity that has gripped parts of Kogi State.
The incident echoes a more extensive and brutal attack that occurred earlier in December, underscoring a deepening crisis. On Sunday, December 14, 2025, gunmen launched coordinated assaults on the First ECWA Church and the Apostolic Church in Aiyetoro Kiri, Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area, during worship services. This audacious strike resulted in the mass abduction of at least 37 worshippers, including numerous children and elderly individuals.
Following the Aiyetoro Kiri church attacks, the assailants quickly made contact with community leaders, initially indicating a desire to negotiate directly with the government. However, by December 16, they escalated their demands, issuing a staggering N600 million ransom to the victims’ families. The kidnappers delivered a stern ultimatum, threatening severe consequences should their financial demands not be met within the specified timeframe.
Tragically, the Aiyetoro Kiri assault claimed the life of Pastor Jimoh Adeyemi, also known by his alias JJ, a seminary graduate, with two other individuals sustaining injuries during the ordeal. The sheer vulnerability of the worshippers was starkly evident, as the attackers specifically targeted congregants during their peaceful gathering.
Among those forcibly taken were more than 12 children, aged between three and eight years old, alongside over 10 elderly worshippers, some exceeding 70 years of age. Community sources reported that the armed group effectively surrounded the area, exploiting the sanctity of the religious services to carry out their criminal enterprise with alarming impunity.
The bandits operated freely for several hours, demonstrating a brazen disregard for law enforcement and local security measures. In a particularly disturbing tactic, some captives were reportedly compelled to return to their homes under duress to collect ransom money before being taken away again, illustrating the extreme control exerted by the perpetrators over their victims and the affected communities.
These successive acts of violence and abduction have cast a long shadow over Kogi State, challenging the efficacy of existing security frameworks and prompting urgent calls for enhanced protection for its citizens. The repeated targeting of religious institutions and vulnerable populations underscores the evolving and increasingly ruthless nature of criminal gangs operating within the region.
Local residents and community leaders are now grappling with profound fears for their safety and livelihoods, as the threat of abduction looms large. The incidents highlight a critical need for robust governmental intervention and improved intelligence gathering to dismantle these criminal networks and restore a sense of security to the affected areas.
