The Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, has received the 38 rescued victims of the attack on a Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) in the Eruku area of the state.
At the Government House clinic, where they were attended to by medical workers, most of the victims looked haggard and tired.
One of the freed victims described the experience at the hands of the bandits as harrowing.
With the provision of drugs, water, food, and those weak being taken into the hospital, the man explained that it was difficult to escape from the grip of the bandits.
One of the pastors of the church expressed appreciation to the federal and state governments for the release of the worshippers.
The state governor, on his arrival at the clinic, discussed with some of the victims and also assessed the situation of those being attended to inside the clinic.
The release of the victims, he added, was not yet for celebration as there were other captives in other states yet to be released.
He thanked President Ahmed Tinubu for his efforts in securing the release of the captives.
The Kwara State Government has announced the release of 38 worshippers on Sunday.
In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, it, however, did not disclose how the abductees regained their freedom.
Gunmen had last Tuesday launched an attack at the parish, abducting 38 worshippers and killing three people during a church service.
Eyewitnesses in the community told Channels Television that the attackers stormed the area “suddenly and heavily armed,” forcing many residents to flee into nearby bushes for safety.
The bandits had demanded ₦3 billion for the release of the victims, but later reduced the ransom to ₦760 million.
The attack also sparked a protest by angry youths in the community.
In response to the attack and others, President Tinubu postponed his scheduled trips to Johannesburg in South Africa and Luanda, Angola, as he awaited further security briefings on the kidnapped Kebbi schoolgirls and the attack on the church worshippers.
He also directed the police to go after the bandits who attacked worshippers.
Before the release of the victims were announced, the church held its first service on Sunday, where it clarified the actual number of victims abducted.
The Church Secretary, Michael Agbabiaka, said that despite fear and trauma, church leaders encouraged members to attend the service as a show of faith and resilience.
In his sermon, the presiding pastor, Bamidele Lawrence, described the incident as a test of faith and told the congregation that God promised that the abducted worshippers would return alive, likening their situation to the biblical trials of the Israelites.
