Bandits Demand ₦3.8 Billion for Abducted Kwara Worshippers — Is the Nigerian Government Quietly Negotiating With Terrorists?

Kwara State is reeling after armed men stormed a Christ Apostolic Church in the quiet community of Eruku, killing several people and abducting dozens during a midweek service. What began as another devastating attack in Nigeria’s north-central region has now escalated into a national crisis, as the abductors demand an astonishing ₦100 million for each of the 38 worshippers taken, a total of about ₦3.8 billion.

Families say the kidnappers wasted no time contacting them, using the victims’ phones to issue their demands and instructions. Some relatives revealed that the abductors have split the captives into smaller groups, calling families separately and negotiating group by group. Community leaders, including Chief Olusegun Olukotun, say many homes are already receiving ransom calls, deepening the panic and sense of helplessness in the town.

The traditional ruler of Eruku, Oba Busari Olarewaju, has appealed to both the state and federal governments for urgent intervention, describing the attack as a stark reminder that rural communities are dangerously vulnerable. Soldiers have since been deployed to the area, but residents insist the response feels like too little, too late.

Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has requested that federal authorities reinforce security across Kwara, warning that the region cannot withstand a new wave of coordinated attacks. The incident follows repeated concerns about the spread of armed groups and the inability of local security structures to deter them.

But the staggering ransom demand has revived an old and uncomfortable question: Is the Nigerian government negotiating with terrorists, directly or indirectly?

So far, there is no official confirmation that the government is engaging with the kidnappers involved in this case. Authorities continue to insist that they do not pay ransom or negotiate with criminal groups. The public-facing strategy remains consistent: deploy troops, pressure local security formations, and issue reassurances.

READ MORE: Tinubu Demanded Jonathan’s Resignation in 2014—Why Is He Still in Office While Schoolgirls Are Kidnapped and Violence Spreads Nationwide?

Yet, Nigerians have seen this movie before. In past cases involving mass abductions, families and communities have quietly raised funds while officials maintain a public stance of non-negotiation. Political leaders often deny involvement, but critics argue that ransom payments, whether made by families, intermediaries, or local actors, effectively sustain and embolden these armed groups.

What complicates matters further is the shifting language in the media. Increasingly, these attackers are no longer being referred to simply as “bandits.” Several outlets now describe them as terrorists, reflecting both their growing organisation and the national security threat they pose. That terminology raises the stakes: if these groups are terrorists, what does it mean when their ransom demands are met, even informally?

For now, the government faces immense pressure to rescue the victims safely while proving that its long-standing claim of refusing negotiations holds. But for the families waiting by their phones in Eruku, the debate over policy means little. They want their loved ones back home, alive. And they are caught between fear, financial desperation, and a system that has struggled to protect or reassure them.

As the standoff continues, Nigeria confronts a painful reality. Each new attack deepens public doubt about the state’s ability to protect its citizens or defeat the armed groups destabilising entire regions. Whether or not the government is negotiating, the question itself captures the growing loss of trust and the urgency of a crisis that can no longer be ignored.

READ ALSO: Another School Attack in Niger State as Terrorists Kidnap Students and Staff, Days After Kebbi Abductions

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