Following weeks of painful negotiations and eventual payment of ransom, bandits believed to be terrorists have reportedly released 17 more worshippers that were abducted from the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in Aiyetoro Kiri Bunu, Kogi State.
The latest release, it was gathered, followed intense and sustained negotiations between the terrorists, families of the victims, and the Aiyetoro Kiri Bunu Development Association, which was at the forefront of leading community efforts to secure the freedom of the victims.
However, sources close to the community indicated that there are still 13 other worshippers that are still being held by the terrorists
This was as it was also gathered that the Kogi State Government did not participate in the negotiations nor played any role in the releases so far achieved by the community.
The worshippers were kidnapped on Sunday, December 14, 2025, when some deadly armed men stormed the ECWA church during a programme and forcefully took away at gun point more than 30 church members to an undisclosed location.
Expectedly, the abduction triggered fear and anger within the community and surrounding areas, thereby prompting families and local leaders to commence talks and negotiations with the kidnappers.
The negotiations yielded fruits on January 1, 2026, when seven of the abducted worshippers regain freedom after payment of N15 million ransom.
Painfully, the release of the victims did not meet the desire expectations as only four of the victims returned to the community alive as two of the abductees were reported to have died in captivity, while another of the victims died shortly after being taken to the hospital.
Be that as it may, the community continues with the negotiations with the terrorists for the release of the remaining victims.
On Monday, January 12, three more of the victims were released and was later followed by the release of 14 additional worshippers on Tuesday, thus brought the number of those so far released to 24 persons.
