The Kogi State Government has responded to the recent attack on a church in Ejiba, Yagba West, by urging residents in areas considered vulnerable to rethink holding worship gatherings or consider shifting their worship centres until security conditions improve. The incident involved armed militants storming a morning service at a Cherubim and Seraphim Church, where the pastor, his wife and several worshippers were abducted. It adds to a troubling pattern of mass abductions that has gripped many northern states.
The advisory, credited to the Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, has drawn sharp reactions. Critics argue that describing such targeted attacks on worship centres as ordinary crime weakens the seriousness of what communities are facing. Families that have suffered violence and kidnappings still bear the pain, even when official language seems to soften the reality.
Questions have also been raised about the practicality of asking worshippers or entire congregations to move. Many wonder where a community is expected to relocate when the government itself has not indicated any safe alternative. Some residents feel the advice shifts responsibility away from those who are meant to safeguard lives and property.
There is growing frustration over what many view as repeated government assurances without clear action. While citizens are being told to suspend their religious gatherings, the threat, hidden within forests around these communities, remains unchallenged. For many, it feels as though they are being asked to surrender their way of life simply because authorities appear unable to guarantee their safety.
Only a few months ago, top officials in the state acknowledged that some young people and women had been helping bandits by transporting supplies and food items into their hideouts. The State Security Adviser, retired Commodore Jerry Omodara, was widely reported as saying that some locals had become a support network for criminals operating in the forests.
In Kogi, as in other parts of the country, the concern is that while bandits continue to strengthen their foothold, communities are left exposed. Instead of a coordinated effort to dislodge armed groups, residents fear that the environment is becoming more favourable for these criminals to operate.
For many observers, the rise of banditry shows that both government and communities have not done enough to disrupt these networks early. Suspicious movements and unusual activities often go unchecked, giving room for dangerous elements to blend in and grow stronger. Without the backing of those within communities who offer support or look the other way, banditry would struggle to survive.
There is a sense that extremist groups are gaining too much room to operate across Nigeria. The call from many citizens remains unchanged. Protecting lives is a duty government must fulfil, and anything less only deepens public fear and frustration.
