A pastor of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), Reverend James Audu Issa, was killed after abductors collected N5 million ransom.
The cleric was abducted on August 28, 2025, from Ekati village in the Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State.
For weeks, his family, church members and the community were said to have rallied to raise the ransom in the hope of securing his release.
According to an indigenous media, Nupeko TV, the gunmen initially demanded N100m for Issa’s freedom. After prolonged negotiations, the ransom was reduced to ₦5m, an amount the community raised through levy and handed over to the unknown kidnappers.
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But after collecting the N5m, the bandits reportedly demanded an additional ₦45m. However before any fresh negotiations could begin, they killed the pastor.
“This act of brutality, known as a ransom-for-murder scenario, underscores the ruthlessness of the bandit groups terrorising Kwara North. The death of the pastor, particularly after the community’s immense sacrifice, is a severe blow to Ekati and the entire Patigi Emirate,” the media platform reported in its broadcast.
The killing of the cleric comes amid a string of violent attacks in Kwara North.
On Thursday morning,2 October 2025, bandits abducted a police officer identified as Ezra along the Patigi-Lade road.
Ezra, an indigene of the Ndanakun community, was returning from night duty when his motorcycle was ambushed. While his colleague escaped, Ezra was overpowered and whisked away.
“They were shooting guns sporadically,” SaharaReporters quoted a source as saying, noting that the abduction highlights the audacity of armed groups operating in Edu and Patigi LGAs.
Barely 24 hours earlier, two brothers were kidnapped on their cassava farm at Bokungi Zambufu under Lafiagi Emirate.
One of the victims was identified as Mohammed Mohammed, a prominent community leader and former president of the National Association of Nupe Students (NANUS).
Eyewitnesses said the gunmen stormed the farmland, opened fire and forced villagers to flee, while the two brothers were seized.
The attacks have heightened fears among farmers and residents in Kwara North, where recurring abductions and killings are crippling agriculture and livelihoods.
Community leaders accuse authorities of failing to match words with action. “Our people can no longer go to their farms. We are living in fear every day,” one resident lamented.