Reporter: Dayo Toluwamini
Panic swept through Aboru, a suburb in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos, on Sunday after gunmen attacked a parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), leaving an unspecified number of worshippers feared dead and several others injured.
The attack occurred during a church service on Adebiyi Street, when the assailants reportedly stormed the premises and opened fire, sending congregants fleeing in different directions. Witnesses described scenes of chaos as worshippers scrambled for cover while others sustained gunshot wounds and injuries in the stampede that followed.
Emergency responders were said to have evacuated the injured to nearby hospitals, while security operatives swiftly cordoned off the area and commenced preliminary investigations.
As of press time, authorities had not released an official casualty figure. However, community sources characterised the incident as devastating, with multiple victims reportedly undergoing treatment for gunshot injuries and trauma-related conditions.
Sunday’s violence has stirred uneasy memories within the Aboru community.
In December 2023, the residence of a Lagos-based missionary, Adegoroye Victor Kehinde, was set ablaze in what security agencies at the time described as a suspected insurgent-linked attack.
Kehinde, also a member of the RCCG, had earlier survived a violent disruption of a church crusade in Maiduguri, Maiduguri, before assailants allegedly trailed him to Lagos months later. During the arson attack, his elderly parents were killed after the attackers reportedly searched for him and vowed to “fish him out.”
Residents say the recurrence of violence has deepened fears of possible extremist infiltration into parts of Lagos long regarded as insulated from the insurgency that has plagued Nigeria’s North-East.
“We believed what happened in 2023 was an isolated incident. Now this has happened again. People are scared. Places of worship should not become targets,” a resident said.
Contacted for comment, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Lagos State Police Command, CSP Abimbola Adebisi, confirmed that security agencies had commenced investigations into the incident, assuring residents that efforts were underway to track down and apprehend those responsible.
Community leaders have since called for increased security patrols around churches and other public gathering points, alongside enhanced intelligence surveillance to forestall further attacks.
As investigations continue, church leaders have appealed for calm, urging members to cooperate with law enforcement agencies while prayers are offered for the victims and their families.
