Seven people, who were abducted in an attack during night prayers at an RCCG church in southwestern Nigeria, have been rescued, officials say.
The pastor of the church was killed in the attack which will challenge the new security chiefs recently appointed by President Bola Tinubu.
Gunmen had stormed the church in Ogun State and killed a preacher before abducting the worshippers on Saturday night.
The incident occurred at a parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Abule Ori, Obafemi Owode municipality.
Police said they tracked down the suspects shortly after the attack and fatally shot one of them.
“The seven victims were rescued unhurt, while one of the kidnappers was killed and many of the suspects sustained serious injuries during an exchange of gunfire,” Ogun State head of security, Soji Ganzallo, said.
Southwestern Nigeria has witnessed several cases of abductions and killings, prompting six governors from the region to launch a policing initiative to support and supplement the national police service, “but not replace it.”
In 2020, the governors agreed to regularise the operations of Amotekun, a security network previously outlawed by the Nigerian government.
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In efforts to tackle insecurity, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu on June 5 asked security officers in the country to share intelligence among themselves, saying hoarding such crucial information was counterproductive to the war against insurgency.
“The effort of the entire armed forces of this country must be put together in a way that there will be one single focus on securing the country,” he said in the capital Abuja, when he visited the office of the national security adviser.
“You can’t have disharmony in an orchestra. We must focus on one tunnel: coordinate, share information, share intelligence and work harder,” added Tinubu.
