Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, on Sunday visited the victims of the Eda-Oniyo church kidnapping at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), Ado-Ekiti, where they are receiving medical treatment following their release after spending about 66 days in captivity.
The victims, consisting of women and children, regained their freedom in the early hours of Saturday after they were abducted during a church programme at the Christ Apostolic Church, Eda-Oniyo, on April 28, 2026.
During the attack, the kidnappers reportedly killed a pastor before abducting 16 worshippers into the forest. One of the captives later died in captivity, while the remaining 15 were rescued and reunited with their families on Saturday following sustained security operations.
Governor Oyebanji, who visited each of the victims at the hospital’s Emergency and Children’s Wards, expressed gratitude for their safe return and commended the medical personnel attending to them.
The governor disclosed that all the victims were responding positively to treatment, noting with delight that a child who was unconscious on Saturday had regained consciousness.
“I am happy that they are back. I am happy that the little child who was unconscious yesterday is now conscious. All of them are stable, and they are responding to medical treatment,” Oyebanji said.
He praised the management and staff of EKSUTH for their prompt intervention and assured that the Ekiti State Government would bear the full cost of the victims’ treatment until they are discharged.
According to him, the state government will also provide psychological counselling to help the survivors overcome the trauma of their ordeal and facilitate their reintegration into society.
“Since yesterday, we brought them here to take care of them and ensure that they are medically sound. I have instructed that the state will bear the cost of their treatment and everything that happens between now and when they are discharged. I will also engage psychologists to counsel them with a view to reintegrating them with their family members,” the governor stated.
Oyebanji thanked God for the successful rescue of the victims and expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for his support during the rescue efforts.
He also commended the security agencies, members of the Hunters’ Association, the Eda-Oniyo Progressives Association, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), and other Ekiti indigenes for their contributions toward securing the victims’ freedom.
“I must particularly place on record my commendation for the efforts of members of the Eda-Oniyo Progressives Association, the Christian Association of Nigeria, and other well-meaning indigenes of Ekiti State who supported us in ensuring that the kidnap victims were finally released,” he said.
The governor, however, cautioned against politicizing security challenges, stressing that public safety should transcend partisan interests.
“We should be our brothers’ keepers. The safety of every Ekiti indigene should be our concern, and there should be a limit to politics.”
“I will advise our people that when things like this happen, they should not weaponize them or play politics with them. It was so shocking that some people decided to play politics with this unfortunate incident,” he added.
Oyebanji had, on Saturday, directed the management of EKSUTH to provide comprehensive medical screening and treatment for the freed victims.
In a statement issued by the Governor’s Special Adviser on Media, Yinka Oyebode, the governor also instructed the Ekiti State Ministry of Health and Human Services to coordinate the victims’ welfare, with the state government assuming full responsibility for all medical expenses.
The statement added that the survivors would remain under medical supervision until they are certified medically fit and psychologically ready to reunite with their families.