Deserted Kwara Church Camp: How Bandit Threat Forced Rev. Isaac Omoleyin, Family Into Hiding

The founder of Word Assembly Ministries, Rev. Isaac Omoleyin, has disclosed that a security threat linked to suspected bandits forced him, his wife and children to abandon their home and live in hiding.

The incident reportedly centred on the ministry’s camp at Idofian village in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, where police officers allegedly arrived around midnight between May 30 and 31, 2026, and directed occupants to evacuate following intelligence about a possible attack.

According to Omoleyin, he was not at the camp when the evacuation order was issued. He said the warning resulted in the facility being emptied, while suspected bandits later arrived at the location but found that those living there had already fled.

The cleric said the security scare has significantly disrupted his family’s life, forcing him to stay away from his home and move between locations with his wife and children for safety.

Omoleyin reportedly said he now has a house he cannot enter and a vehicle he cannot use freely because of concerns over his safety. He described the situation as one in which he has had to keep a low profile rather than maintain his normal public activities.

The evacuation also reportedly affected more than 100 people associated with the church camp. The facility served not only as a worship centre but also housed social and community services, including a school, hospital, old people’s home and rehabilitation centre.

Omoleyin said the security situation brought many of those activities to a halt. According to his account, the school stopped functioning while the hospital was also affected after patients and medical personnel left the facility for safety.

The ministry subsequently sought clarification from security authorities on whether it was safe for residents to return to the camp. Omoleyin said reports were also made to the Department of State Services and the Kwara State Ministry of Social Welfare, but that formal clearance to return had not been obtained.

The cleric further alleged that his community in Kogi State was attacked three days after the Kwara incident, with some residents reportedly killed. However, the reported account does not independently establish a direct connection between that attack and the earlier security warning at the church camp.

Omoleyin also alleged that the abandoned camp was later broken into and some property was stolen. He said the buildings were not destroyed during the reported security incident but appealed to the Federal and Kwara State governments to improve security around the facility to enable the displaced residents, including children under the ministry’s care, to return safely.