In an unprecedented move to prevent further loss of life, the Obaro of Kabba, Oba Solomon Owoniyi, in collaboration with the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), has ordered the immediate and indefinite suspension of all church activities in the Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area.
The directive, issued today, Friday, December 19, 2025, follows a wave of violent attacks targeting Christian worshippers and communities in Kogi West, including a recent raid that left one person dead and dozens in captivity.
The decision was finalized during an emergency meeting at Obaro’s palace involving traditional rulers and religious leaders.
All church services, including Sunday worship and weekly programs, are to be suspended until further notice, as leaders cited “credible security reports” suggesting that bandits have finalized plans for coordinated strikes on churches in the area.
The order primarily covers Kabba/Bunu LGA but follows earlier state-wide restrictions by Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, who mandated that all religious and social gatherings in Kogi must end by 4:00 PM daily.
The total suspension of services comes just days after a series of traumatic events like the Ayetoro-Kiri Church attack on Sunday, December 14, gunmen stormed the First ECWA Church and the Apostolic Church in Ayetoro-Kiri. One worshipper, Pastor Jimoh Adeyemi (JJ), was killed, and over 37 people, including 12 children and 10 elderly persons over 70, were abducted. The kidnappers have since contacted the community, demanding a staggering ₦600 million ransom and insisting on negotiating directly with the government.
Simultaneously, coordinated attacks hit the Ilai and Oke-Agi communities in neighboring Mopamuro LGA, resulting in three deaths and further abductions.
More so, security operatives recently uncovered a large cache of arms in criminal hideouts across the state, heightening fears that the bandits are heavily embedded in the surrounding forests.
The security crisis has triggered a mass exodus from rural communities. Reports from Ayetoro-Kiri describe an “eerie silence,” with families abandoning their homes and farms to seek refuge in larger towns like Kabba and Lokoja.
The CAN Coordinator for Kabba/Bunu, Rev. Kayode Osatuyi, urged Christians to comply with the monarch’s directive for their own safety, calling for “continuous prayers from home” until the security situation is stabilized.
