Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Fourteen worshippers of the Christ Apostolic Church in Eda Oniyo, Ekiti State, have returned from the brink of death with harrowing tales of starvation, forced marches and the cruelty of captors who fed them dry garri and raw cassava, leaving them to drink rainwater like animals in the wild. After spending more than two months in the squalid captivity of a forest camp in neighbouring Kogi State, the survivors – many of them women and elderly persons – were released following the reported payment of a staggering N25.5 million ransom, an ordeal that claimed the life of an 82-year-old female captive and left the rest physically broken and psychologically scarred.
The nightmare began on the night of April 28, 2026, when the quiet of an open-air revival in Eda Oniyo, Ilejemeje Local Government Area of Ekiti State, was shattered by the roar of gunfire. Armed men stormed the worship service, shooting the presiding pastor dead on the spot before rounding up 15 congregants, including women and children, and marching them into the dense forest. For the next 67 days, the captives were held in an uncompleted building in a remote camp, subjected to conditions that defied human dignity. According to accounts that went viral yesterday, the survivors were fed only once a day, and the meals were a cruel mockery of sustenance – raw cassava roots, and occasionally, dry garri served without a drop of water to wash it down. The scarcity of water became so severe that the captives often had to wait for rainfall, opening their mouths to the sky like parched earth, just to quench their thirst. One survivor, her voice still trembling, recounted: "We drank water only when it rained. When it didn't rain, we had nothing".
The physical torment was matched by an almost unimaginable journey of displacement. The kidnappers forced their victims to trek approximately 200 kilometres from Eda Oniyo in Ekiti State to a forest hideout in Kogi State, where they were held for the remainder of their captivity. The gruelling march through rugged terrain, without adequate food or water, pushed the elderly and the weak to the limits of human endurance. One of the abductees, 82-year-old Mrs Olomi Ogundele, did not survive the harsh conditions, succumbing to the brutality of her captors and dying in the camp. Her death cast a long shadow over the survivors, who were forced to continue their struggle for survival while mourning a fellow worshipper.
Yet, amidst the squalor and suffering, a stark contrast emerged. The survivors revealed that the leader of the kidnapping gang lived in relative comfort within the same forest, almost like a king, with communication gadgets and a generator that provided electricity round the clock in the camp. This revelation offered a chilling glimpse into the organisation and resources available to the criminal network, which appeared to operate with impunity despite the harsh conditions it imposed on its captives. The victims also disclosed that other abducted persons from different parts of the country were being held at the same camp, suggesting a sprawling and sophisticated operation.
The release of the 14 survivors came after weeks of agonising negotiations, culminating in the reported payment of a N25.5 million ransom. The process was fraught with tension, but eventually, the victims were freed and taken to the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH) in Ado-Ekiti, where they received medical evaluation and trauma rehabilitation for over a month. They were discharged on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, and reunited with their families. The state government, under Governor Biodun Oyebanji, provided the victims with uniformed Adire attire and an 18-passenger bus to convey them back to Eda Oniyo, where they were received by a jubilant crowd and a thanksgiving service organised by the local chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria.
The return of the survivors, however, has done little to ease the palpable fear that now grips the community. Several residents have fled their homes, particularly those living on the outskirts, for fear that the kidnappers could return. The monarch of Eda Oniyo, Oba Julius Awolola, has appealed for the speedy completion of a divisional police station under construction in the area and called for the establishment of a military post at the border between Eda Oniyo and Obbo Aiyegunle in Kwara State, citing recurrent security concerns. Governor Oyebanji, who visited the victims at the hospital, has assured residents that his administration would continue to prioritise the safety of the people, but for many, the promise of security rings hollow after such a harrowing experience.
The Eda Oniyo kidnapping is not an isolated incident but part of a worrying pattern of insecurity that has plagued Nigeria's rural communities, where worshippers, farmers and travellers are increasingly becoming targets of armed gangs. The ordeal of these 14 worshippers, who survived starvation, forced marches and the death of a fellow captive, is a stark reminder of the human cost of the nation's security crisis. As they begin the slow process of physical and emotional recovery, the scars of their captivity will linger, a testament to the cruelty of their captors and the resilience of the human spirit. The question that now hangs over Eda Oniyo and countless other communities is not whether the next attack will come, but when, and whether the government will finally act to prevent it.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments