President Bola Tinubu has announced the release of 38 persons who were recently abducted during an attack on Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Ekiti Local Government, Kwara State.
The president made the announcement in a statement he personally signed off on his official X handle this evening.
The statement reads:
“My fellow Nigerians,
You will recall that I cancelled my trip to the G20 summit in South Africa to enable me to coordinate the security efforts at home.
Thanks to the efforts of our security forces over the last few days, all the 38 worshippers abducted in Eruku, Kwara State, have been rescued.
I am equally happy that 51 out of the missing students of the Catholic School in Niger State have been recovered.
I am closely monitoring the security situation nationwide and receiving continuous updates from the frontline.
Let me be clear: I will not relent. Every Nigerian, in every state, has the right to safety — and under my watch, we will secure this nation and protect our people.”
The Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, also confirmed the release of the abducted worshippers.
A statement by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, on Sunday lauded the efforts of the federal authorities and security agencies in securing the release of the abductees.
The governor singled out President Tinubu for what he called “his hands-on involvement in the rescue operation”.
It would be recalled that President Tinubu had postponed his scheduled trip to the G20 meeting in South Africa following the tragic attack of bandits on worshippers in Eruku, Kwara and the abduction of school children in Kebbi state.
AbdulRazaq thanked the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Department of State Services (DSS); the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Intelligence Agency, and the Nigeria Police for their roles in the recovery of the worshippers.
The Secretary of CAC Oke Isegun, Michael Agbabiaka, confirmed to The Punch that the DSS contacted the community around 4 pm to inform them that the captives had been freed.
Agbabiaka said they were waiting for the released abductees to return home and be reunited with their families.
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