A youth leader of Eruku community in Kwara State, Shola Peters has strongly condemned the local police division, accusing officers of actively hindering residents’ efforts to pursue bandits responsible for a deadly attack on a local church that left three worshippers dead and over 35 abducted.
Speaking from the crisis-hit community, Peters, whose claims were echoed by a victim, Adesuyi Joshua, demanded an immediate probe by the Inspector General of Police, stating the community had lost all faith in the local security apparatus.
Peters expressed profound betrayal, alleging that the police, who have benefited directly from community support, failed them at the crucial moment: “These are the same police officers the town supported. We built houses for the DPO and the men. When we needed them most, they failed us.”
He further detailed the local police’s conduct during the attack, alleging that officers prioritized stopping the vigilantes over catching the criminals: “Instead of joining us to pursue the bandits, they stopped us. The Inspector General needs to probe the Eruku division. All they do here is harass young boys and tag them as Yahoo boys or cultists.”
Adesuyi Joshua, a victim whose wife and granddaughter were abducted, corroborated the account of security failure and harassment: “We have soldiers around this place. We also have a police station, but nothing was done throughout the attack. When we were pursuing the bandits, the police started shooting from their gate. We thought it was the bandits again. When we got to the station, they tear-gassed us and allowed the attackers to escape.”
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Peters confirmed that despite being heavily outgunned, the community’s youths courageously confronted the assailants. He admitted the overwhelming odds they faced: “Their firepower was too much. They came with AK-49 rifles and machine guns.”
Having lost faith in the police division, Peters issued a blunt demand for institutional change and self-defense enablement: “We need the Commissioner of Police and the Inspector General to come and probe the police. We don’t want them again. Let the government give us guns; we can protect ourselves.”
Meanwhile, the Ekiti LGA Christian Association of Nigeria Coordinator, Pastor Kenneth Adigoke, warned of the implications of the attack on the religious community, stating, “This attack is just like a direct assault on the Christian community and the body of Christ. Look at the situation that happened yesterday, they entered the church and killed three people on the spot, and kidnapped about 35. If they said there is genocide against the church or the Christian community, it can be justified.”
Adigoke concluded with a plea to the authorities: “People are not happy. We want the government to handle this insecurity issue dispassionately, and we believe that with prayers, the issue will be tackled.”
