Aiyetoro Kiri, a community in the Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State, was plunged into terror on Sunday, December 14, 2025, when bandits launched a brazen attack on the First ECWA Church and the Apostolic Church during peaceful Sunday services. This devastating assault resulted in the kidnapping of at least 37 worshippers, a group that tragically included children as young as three and elderly residents over 70 years old. In addition to the mass abductions, Student Pastor Jimoh Adeyemi, also known as J.J., a seminary graduate who had recently returned to serve his community, was killed. Two other individuals reportedly sustained injuries during the raid.

Eyewitness accounts describe how the attackers meticulously surrounded the community, exploiting the calm of the Sunday gathering. While some churchgoers managed to find refuge by hiding inside the Apostolic Church, many others, particularly children who could not escape quickly, were seized. Among the kidnapped were more than 10 elderly people, all exceeding 70 years of age, and over 12 children aged between three and eight years old. The bandits operated freely for hours, demonstrating an alarming level of impunity, even reportedly forcing some captives to return home to collect ransom money before being taken into deeper captivity.

SaharaReporters obtained a partial list of those abducted, highlighting the scale of the tragedy. The kidnapped individuals include Elder Abraham Obagbemi, Elder Thomas Tolufashe, Elder David Omonaiye, Mr. David Solomon, Mr. Joseph Jeremiah, Mrs. Alice Atteh, Mrs. Esther Atteh, Mrs. Mary Adebayo, Mrs. Esther Braimoh, Rebecca Daniel, Mrs. Funmilayo Peter, Mrs. Rachael Oshe, Mrs. Abigail Oshe, Tobi Owonibi, James Bello Adebayo, Bosede Samuel, Mrs. Elesho, Pamilerin Atteh, Daniel Atteh, two children of Ojo Oloruntoba, three children of Mrs. Funmi, two children of Mrs. Tobi, and two children of Mr. Tuesday Adebayo.

Following the attack, the bandits made contact with the community on December 15, indicating a desire to negotiate directly with the government rather than the victims' families. The severity of their intent became clear the next day, December 16, when they issued a demand for a staggering N600 million ransom, threatening severe consequences if their ultimatum was not met. This direct engagement and high demand underscore the organized nature and audacity of the criminal syndicate.

The immediate aftermath of the attack saw Aiyetoro Kiri transformed into a ghost town. By Thursday, December 18, SaharaReporters revealed that the village had been largely deserted, with residents fleeing en masse in fear of further violence. Streets lay eerily quiet, homes were locked, and families relocated to nearby towns and villages in a desperate search for safety. A video obtained by SaharaReporters starkly depicted the deserted community, showing broken windows and lorries filled with residents making their panicked exodus, capturing the profound fear and despair gripping the area.

This latest incident is not an isolated event but rather the third major attack on Aiyetoro Kiri in 2025, painting a grim picture of escalating insecurity. Earlier in the year, on March 27, five individuals were kidnapped and held for over four months before their release was secured through a ransom payment on July 12. A second incident occurred on November 26, when one person was killed and petroleum products were seized as bandits transited through the community. Residents believe the village serves as a strategic route to and from the bandits' hideouts, making it a recurring target.

Community members have described the December 14 attack as brazen and unprecedented in its scale, sparking widespread concern among the Bunu people. They have expressed deep concern over the lack of government-backed security presence in the area and are urgently appealing for intervention to secure the release of the abducted worshippers and to prevent future assaults. Without a visible and robust security presence, the community warns, Aiyetoro Kiri and Bunu District remain dangerously vulnerable to repeated raids, further highlighting the urgent need for governmental action to protect citizens and restore confidence in the safety of communities along known bandit routes.