Gunmen Kill 16 Worshippers In Okene Deeper Life Bible Church

It was a bloody night in Kogi State yesterday as unknown gunmen stormed the Deeper Life Bible Church, Otite, near Okene, in the central axis of the state, killing 16 worshippers.

Sources gathered that members of the church were attending its weekly Monday Bible study service when the hoodlums stormed the place.

The gunmen, numbering about 10, who were said to have invaded the church in a Toyota Hiace bus, started firing sporadically.

Motorists plying the highway connecting the northern and southern part of the country as well as students of the Federal College of Education, Okene, which is a stone throw from the venue of the incident, had to take cover to avoid running into the gunmen.

The worshippers could not escape immediately as the gunmen blocked the entrance of the church.

Some worshipers were able to escape during the attack which lasted about 20 minutes, even as nine others who received serious injuries were rushed to a nearby hospital.

The commissioner of police, Kogi State command, Mr. Muhammadu Katsina, confirmed the incident in a telephone interview with our correspondent.

He said the gunmen entered the Deeper Life Church and switched off the generating set in the church before opening fire on the worshippers.

The police boss, who spoke while on his way to Otite, also confirmed the number of casualties, even as he promised to give details of the incident later, after visiting the place.
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