Kwara Ekiti LG orders suspension of night vigil following attack

The Executive Chairman, Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, Awelewa Olawale Gabriel, has ordered an indefinite suspension of night vigil in worship centres in local communities across the council area.

The order was sequel to the gunmen attack on Ori-Oke Ajaiye, near Ikerin-Opin during Christian night vigil, leading to the death of three persons and abduction of 15 others.

“Based on the recommendation from the council’s security advisory team, Awelewa urged religious bodies in outlying areas to relocate services to community centres within towns and villages, and limit day services to a maximum of two hours.”

The Chief Press Secretary to the council chairman, Prince Dada Sunday, made this known in a statement issued on Sunday.

The statement noted that the council chairman was particularly disturbed that the church 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.

“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.

“Security is a shared responsibility. Our people must choose prudence over ritual when the environment is unsafe. No prayer is more valuable than human life,” the statement quoted the chairman as saying

Awelewa described the midnight raid as “a painful reminder that insecurity thrives where communities are unguarded, and warnings are ignored.”

Awelewa noted that the location of the church on a hill, far removed from residential areas, made early intervention from security personnel impossible.

“Help could not come quickly because the congregation was isolated. That is a reality we must confront honestly,” the statement added.

The chairman assured that the council would work with the 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 the worshippers killed and those abducted during the terrorist attack.