Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Executive Chairman of Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, Awelewa Olawale Gabriel, has ordered the indefinite suspension of night vigils in worship centres located in rural communities across the council area. The directive, issued on Monday, May 25, 2026, follows a deadly attack by gunmen on a Christian night vigil at Ori‑Oke Ajaiye, near Ikerin‑Opin in the same local government area. The assailants invaded the prayer ground on Saturday, May 23, 2026, at about 8:30 p.m., killing three worshippers and abducting 15 others. The decision was based on recommendations from the council’s security advisory team, according to a statement by the chairman’s Chief Press Secretary, Prince Dada Sunday.
The council chairman expressed frustration that the attacked church had continued to hold night services in an isolated area despite repeated warnings issued to religious bodies through the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the League of Imams. Gabriel noted that the church’s location on a hill, far from residential settlements, had made early intervention by security personnel impossible. “Faith cannot be practised at the expense of life. We have consistently advised churches and mosques in isolated areas to stop holding night vigils. Worship is meant to edify and protect, not expose people to avoidable danger,” the statement quoted him as saying. He added that security is a shared responsibility and that prudence must take precedence over ritual when the environment is unsafe. “No prayer is more valuable than human life.”
The council chairman described the midnight raid as a painful reminder that insecurity thrives where communities are unguarded and warnings are ignored. The local government has directed religious organisations in outlying areas to relocate their services to community centres within towns and villages and to limit daytime services to a maximum of two hours. Gabriel assured residents that the council would work with the Kwara State Government and security agencies to secure the immediate rescue of the abducted worshippers and to strengthen surveillance around vulnerable communities. He expressed sympathy to the families of those killed and abducted during the terrorist attack.
The suspension order follows a separate appeal by the Presidency for the temporary suspension of mountain prayer gatherings in Kwara and Kogi states. Dr. Abiodun Essiet, Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Community Engagement (North‑Central), urged residents and religious groups to temporarily suspend Ori‑Oke prayer gatherings until the security situation stabilises. Essiet noted that mountains and forests have increasingly become hideouts for bandits and criminal elements, posing security risks to worshippers and surrounding communities, and stressed that God can be worshipped anywhere. The Kwara State Police Command has condemned the attack and stated that investigations and rescue operations are ongoing.
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