Police spokesperson DCP Anthony Okon Placid said the suspects were apprehended during coordinated operations across Kwara and neighbouring Kogi State following investigations into an assault that drew national attention after being broadcast via livestream.

The footage showed worshippers fleeing gunfire as armed men stormed the church during an evening service. Authorities confirmed that 38 worshippers were abducted in the attack before being rescued days later in a joint security operation.

Placid, speaking at a briefing in Abuja, said the operation was intelligence-driven and resulted in the disruption of a wider criminal network. "Following the attack on the C.A.C. in Eruku Town, operatives of the IRT, acting on credible human and technical intelligence, conducted coordinated operations across Kwara and Kogi States,” he said. 

He added that investigators established a prima facie case linking the suspects to multiple violent crimes. "Preliminary investigations revealed that the gang was involved in criminal conspiracy, armed robbery, kidnapping, cattle rustling, culpable homicide, unlawful possession of firearms, arms dealing, and acts of terrorism,” Placid stated. Security officials also recovered multiple weapons, including AK-47 rifles, an anti-aircraft launcher, live ammunition, and communication equipment.

A security source familiar with the operation, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the raids as "highly coordinated and based on sustained intelligence tracking across rural settlements,” adding that officers faced "difficult terrain and scattered suspect movement patterns.” 

According to information reviewed by Lamaane News Network, the arrests were conducted in multiple locations including Gbugbu, Kaiama, Patigi, and Oke-Ode, where some suspects reportedly abandoned weapons during escape attempts.

Residents in Eruku described lingering fear following the church attack. One trader said, "People still avoid large evening gatherings because the memory of that day is fresh.” Another community member noted increased security patrols but said "farmers still worry about returning to distant fields.”

The Kwara incident is part of a wider pattern of insecurity in north-central Nigeria. Authorities previously reported violent raids in neighbouring Isapa, where villagers were abducted, and in Woro, where dozens were killed earlier in the year. Security analysts link the trend to expanding armed criminal networks operating across forested border areas between states.

The latest arrests underscore efforts by security agencies to dismantle coordinated groups involved in kidnapping-for-ransom and rural banditry. Analysts say the recovery of heavy weapons, including an anti-aircraft launcher, signals an escalation in the firepower available to non-state armed actors, raising concerns over rural security and response capacity.

Officials said investigations are ongoing to apprehend remaining fugitives and disrupt associated cells believed to be active across multiple states in Nigeria’s north-central region.