Thirty-eight people abducted during an attack on Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, have regained their freedom, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq announced on Sunday.

The governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, disclosed the development in an official statement, noting that the victims were released after “many days of hard work by security forces and government representatives.”

“HE AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (CON) is excited to announce the freedom of 38 persons who were recently abducted in an attack on Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) Eruku,” the statement said.

Governor AbdulRazaq attributed the breakthrough to President Bola Tinubu’s direct intervention. According to the statement, “The governor says this is wholly due to the hands-on approach of President Bola Tinubu, GCFR, who has personally led the efforts to free the abductees. The abductees were freed today, November 23.”

The governor also expressed deep gratitude to President Tinubu, recalling that the President postponed his trip to the G20 Summit in South Africa to personally oversee security responses in both Kwara and Kebbi states. “He had also directed heightened security deployments to Kwara, in what underlined his firm commitment to the safety and well-being of our people,” the statement added.

AbdulRazaq thanked federal and local security agencies for their coordinated efforts, acknowledging the roles played by the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Department of State Services, the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Intelligence Agency and the Nigeria Police, which recently deployed four new tactical teams to the state.

The attack, carried out on Tuesday by armed bandits, claimed the lives of three worshippers and resulted in one of Kwara’s largest mass abductions in recent years, raising alarm over the spike in bandit activity near the state’s borders with Kogi and Niger.

The victims’ release follows an intense rescue operation involving soldiers, DSS operatives, Special Tactical Squad units, SWAT teams, anti-kidnapping officers, and local vigilantes.