The attack has left residents of the community in shock, reigniting concerns over insecurity in the region.
Bandit Attack
Video footage from Ejiba in Yagba West Local Government Area, Kogi State, has shown the aftermath of a violent attack on a Cherubim and Seraphim church on Sunday morning, November 30, 2025.
Earlier, Tori News reported that on Sunday, bandits stormed the church, abducting the pastor, popularly known as Orlando, his wife, and an unconfirmed number of worshippers.
The attack has left residents of the community in shock, reigniting concerns over insecurity in the region.
The footage shows the church interior in disarray, with some congregants’ shoes and Bibles left where they had been seated.
In the video, the person recording the scene described the abduction, pleading for assistance to rescue the victims.
“I hid myself; this is the church where they abducted people. You are seeing where they kidnapped people at Ejiba. Please, save us. Baba Orlando, who is the head of this church, was abducted. You can see the inside. They didn’t bother to put of the speaker or anything,” he said.
WATCH: Video Shows Aftermath Of Bandit Attack On Kogi Cherubim & Seraphim Church, Abduction Of Pastor, Other Worshippers pic.twitter.com/yLbqwayJJo
— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) November 30, 2025
The incident adds to a growing pattern of violent attacks targeting places of worship and communities in Kogi State, and some other states, raising urgent calls for heightened security measures.
For instance, on November 18, 2025, bandits stormed the Christ Apostolic Church, Oke-Isegun, Eruku, in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State during a worship service.
The attackers fired shots to create panic, killing at least five people before abducting 38 worshippers, including women, children, and elderly members of the congregation.
The abduction sent shockwaves across Kwara State, with widespread fear in the Eruku community and beyond. A list of the abducted members later revealed that 30 of the victims were women, with ages ranging from seven to sixty-four years old.
Initial reports suggested that the kidnappers demanded exorbitant ransoms, as high as N100 million per victim, later reduced to about N20 million each.
After days of tension, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq announced on November 23, 2025 that all 38 abducted worshippers had regained their freedom. Their release was attributed to coordinated efforts by security agencies, including the police, Department of State Services (DSS), and National Intelligence Agency (NIA).
