As attacks on Christian worship centres continue across the country, the Kogi State Government has advised churches located in crime-prone villages to consider suspending physical gatherings until security conditions improve.

The warning follows a Sunday morning attack on the Cherubim and Seraphim Church in Ejiba, Yagba West Local Government Area, where gunmen abducted a pastor, his wife, and several congregants.

Confirming the incident, the state Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, described the attack as “very sad and unfortunate,” assuring residents that security operatives were working to rescue the abducted victims.

Fanwo said preliminary assessment suggested the attackers had carefully surveyed the area before striking, noting that they may have blended with villagers who failed to report their presence.

“Those who struck at Ejiba must have been hiding in the community for some days or in bushes around the village,” he said. “Some villagers would have seen them and kept quiet. If you refuse to raise alarms when you see strange faces at a time like this, who knows who will be victims of their madness?”

He faulted churches for hosting services in secluded areas without adequate security, particularly so soon after the abduction of 38 worshippers from a church in Eruku, Ekiti LGA of Kwara State.

“Worshipping in the bush without security in this era, just a few weeks after worshippers were abducted in Kwara State, to me is not ideal,” he said. “We all need to be security conscious at this time. We also need to volunteer intelligence.”

Fanwo acknowledged that both the state government and Yagba West council had intensified efforts to tackle crime in border communities but said Ejiba had suffered repeated attacks. He criticised religious leaders who insist on gathering worshippers in unsafe locations despite clear risks.

“It’s easy to blame the government, but those suffering in the hands of these incurable irredentists are our people. So why won’t we subscribe to wisdom?” he asked.

He urged the public to speak out when they notice unusual behaviour or unfamiliar faces in their communities.

“I am also aware that the security network, comprising the conventional security agencies and the local security architecture, are currently doing what they should do. We have no figures yet as we await security agencies to carry out their findings and report back to the public.

“We urge the citizens to be security conscious and also report suspicious movements and faces to security agencies. When you see something, say something.

“Worship centres in the outskirts should reconsider worshipping in crime-prone areas for now until the situation gets better,” he stated.

The Yagba abduction comes barely two weeks after 38 worshippers from the Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara State, were kidnapped following a deadly attack that claimed two lives. The Federal Government later secured their release after several days in captivity.