Suspected Fulani Ethnic Militia deployed drones prior to Abducting Christians. ‘This is a new and troubling tactic,’ said community guard leader.
Pastor: ‘Prayer Is Not Enough. Arms Are Now Necessary’
By Onibiyo Segun
Ejiba, Yagba West County, Kogi State–“I hid myself; this is the church where they abducted people. You are seeing where they kidnapped people at Ejiba. Please, save us. Baba Orlando, who is the head of this church, was abducted. You can see the inside. They didn’t bother to put off the speaker or anything,” said (in a mix of Yoruba language and English) the trembling voice behind a Facebook video that went viral shortly after the assault on the Cherubim and Seraphim (C&S) Church in Ejiba.
Inside the hall, the footage captured overturned pews, scattered Bibles, footwear abandoned mid-flight, and the eerie silence that follows gunfire.
Chaos at Dawn: Worship Turned Warfare
The suspected Fulani Ethnic Militia gunmen struck around mid-morning on November 30, 2025, during a Sunday service. Congregants had barely settled into worship when the assailants stormed in, firing, shouting, and forcing worshippers to flee in all directions.
“I couldn’t count their numbers, but they could be more than 15 of them. Dressed in turbans on their heads, covering parts of their faces, bearing guns. We didn’t even know where to run, we just ran,” eyewitness Bayo Oluwole told TruthNigeria.
Another survivor, Mrs. Grace Adefila, said: “I saw people fall over themselves – mothers, fathers, children, and elderly church members unable to move fast enough, all screaming. Everyone was scrambling to get out of the church.”
Mr. Samuel Ajiboye said the attackers were “many, heavily armed, and strategic,” adding: “They took over entrances but left the windows unattended. That’s where I jumped, and a few others escaped. I can’t say how many were kidnapped, but we were holding a crusade. People were many. Many came from outside Ejiba when they struck.”
Among those abducted was Evangelist Gabriel Onaji, a guest minister for the ongoing three-day Ejule Gospel Crusade held in partnership with the church.
State Government Confirms Attack, Warns Against Isolated Worship
Kogi State’s Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, confirmed the attack and condemned it as “sad and unfortunate.” He urged churches to suspend services in isolated areas until security improves.
In a disturbing development, the Community Guard commander, Chief Gbemisola Opeoluwa, told TruthNigeria by telephone that intelligence confirmed the bandits deployed a drone moments before the attack.
Eyewitnesses interviewed via telephone – Mrs. Adefila and Mr. Ajiboye also reported seeing “the object hovering between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m., minutes before the assault.”
According to Chief Gbemisola, a retired military officer and native of Ejiba, “These people did reconnaissance. They used a drone to study movements around the church before striking. This is a new and troubling tactic.”
Chief Gbemisola added that “Ejiba is surrounded by forests bordering Kwara and Niger States. My conclusion is that the terrorist group responsible cannot be far from the Mahmuda terrorist group, a faction of Boko Haram led by the arrested Abubakar Abba. They have been wrecking havoc in communities around here and Kwara. Community Guards had encountered them several times and once traced them to a community in Bassa County of Niger State, where they have camps.”
Authorities say the deployment of drones marks an alarming escalation in the sophistication of terrorist cells operating in Kogi.
Rural Isolation: Ejiba’s Geography and Bandit Advantage
Ejiba sits deep in Yagba West’s forested landscapes, dense vegetation, bush paths, and unmonitored corridors that provide ideal cover for militants. The town shares borders with Kwara State to the east and Niger State to the northwest.
Kogi to Kwara is approximately 390 km (242 miles) by road, while Kogi to Niger is around 286 km (178 miles).
The C&S church lies on the outskirts, an isolated location now exposed as a strategic vulnerability.
Chief Gbemisola told TruthNigeria, “if abductees were marched into the forest, they are most likely on their way to forests in Niger State – terrain ‘governed’ by the Lakurawa terrorist group and other splinter cells operating in the Kogi-Kwara axis.”
JTF Launches Manhunt as State Activates Air Support
The Joint Task Force (JTF) – comprising Community Guards, local vigilantes, police units, and military operatives is actively tracking the kidnappers through forest routes and border corridors.
“The vigilantes (community guards) are in full combat pursuit alongside federal agencies. Hopefully, we will have the Ejiba victims back alive,” Chief Gbemisola told TruthNigeria,
The Kogi State Government has also deployed a helicopter and an anti-kidnapping squad to support the mission.
‘Rethink Worship, Train for Self-Defense,’ say Experts
Kogi-based security analyst Dr. Timilehin Ojo questioned why rural churches remain in exposed locations.
Dr. Timilehin told TruthNigeria, “Why do congregations still gather in isolated zones prone to terrorist attacks? You’re like a sitting duck! It is time to think safety first.
“I recommend basic self-defense training and the acquisition of legally registered arms, where the law permits for self defense.”
Defense analyst Dr. Habeeb Olasehinde, based in Osun State, added that “ransom payments to Fulani militia networks serve as a strategy tool that fuels more abductions. Ransom for freedom never solves terrorism. It funds the next attack. It’s like empowering the terrorists to do more.”
Public affairs analyst Dr. John Ayeni said to TruthNigeria that “militants are targeting rural Christians systematically, exploiting forest corridors, porous borders, and isolated worship centers. The people must be alert and be the first buffer of defense. Else they’ll be picked out like books on a shelve”.
Clergy React: ‘Prayer Is Not Enough. Arms Are Now Necessary’
Rev. Isaac Abayomi of the Baptist Church in Egbe told TruthNigeria, “Churches must combine prayer with lawful self-protection. There’s no harm in owning arms. None! Faith without protection is reckless. These terrorists strike repeatedly without fear. Congregations must adopt security protocols, survival strategies, and arm themselves within legal limits.”
Pattern of Escalating Attacks on Worship Centers
The Ejiba abduction mirrors earlier incidents reported by TruthNigeria.
· Gunmen Murder 5, Kidnap Pastor and 15 Worshippers in Kwara Church
· Southern Kaduna Reels as Wave of Terror Strikes Churches
· Army Crushes Fulani Kidnapper Hostage Camp in Kwara, Rescuing 21
Search Continues: A Community Holds Its Breath
As rescue efforts intensify, the fate of Pastor Orlando, Evangelist Gabriel Onaji, the pastor’s wife, and numerous abducted congregants remains unknown.
Ejiba waits, prays, and watches the skies, now wary of drones. But across rural Kogi, a frightening question echoes through Sunday worship: “Will we return home alive?”
Onibiyo Segun reports on terrorism and conflicts for TruthNigeria.
