The 38 worshippers at the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Oke Isegun, Eruku, who regained freedom on Sunday after spending five days in the kidnappers' den, are currently under close medical supervision at the Kwara Government House Clinic, Ilorin.

Access to the victims is highly restricted, with only medical practitioners and trauma experts allowed in and out of the facility. Sources revealed that even the medical personnel attending to the victims were barred from carrying mobile phones into the clinic.

A senior government official, who requested anonymity, confirmed that the abductees will remain under careful observation due to the ordeal they suffered.

He stated: "They went through trauma and a very harrowing experience, especially the young ones and the elderly. The government is concerned about their welfare and wants to give them the best possible medical care before allowing them to return home."

The victims were taken to the clinic immediately after their release and a meeting with Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Sunday evening.

The group had been abducted during a church service last Tuesday and held captive until Sunday.

One of the freed victims, Bamidele Emmanuel, briefly spoke with journalists at the Government House, recalling the moment the bandits stormed the church.

"The attack was sudden and chaotic. We suddenly heard gunshots. At first, I didn't even know it was gunfire; I thought it was some wire sparking," he said.

Emmanuel described the days spent in captivity as "unimaginable."

"When we got into the bush, we immediately understood that the whole place was dominated by these evil people.

"They told us themselves that they were bandits and made it clear that no one could escape. From what we saw, they knew every route around those bushes within Kwara and neighbouring communities."

He said the physical and psychological abuse endured was "not something anyone should experience."

Neither the government nor security agencies has disclosed the circumstances that led to the release.

However, the Kwara State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said while it welcomed the release of the 38 abductees, it did not absolve Governor AbdulRasaq of what it described as "persistent security lapses."

In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Adewara, the party commended security agencies and vigilantes for their "tireless efforts" but accused the state government of evasiveness and lack of transparency.

The PDP raised four key questions: Were any attackers arrested or neutralised? Was ransom paid for the release? What is the health condition of the freed victims? What new measures have been introduced to prevent future attacks?

The statement added, "A government that celebrates the release of hostages without the arrest of their captors is merely negotiating a temporary ceasefire with criminals. Security should be measured not by how many abductees are released but by how many criminals are arrested, prosecuted and prevented from striking again. Kwara communities remain vulnerable until the masterminds of the attack are apprehended and their networks dismantled."

The party also criticised Governor AbdulRasaq's emphasis on President Bola Tinubu's role in securing the victims' release, arguing it reflected poorly on the governor's capacity as the state's chief security officer.

"If the governor must rely entirely on Tinubu's intervention each time citizens are attacked or abducted, then it becomes clear that state leadership has lost grip on its primary constitutional responsibility," the PDP stated.

The party described the governor as "a liability on the Federal Government," insisting that the rescue was not a victory for the administration but "a relief overshadowed by unanswered questions."

It urged the state government to "come clean" on the circumstances surrounding the release, the fate of the attackers, and long-term measures to protect residents.

"The return of the Eruku 38, while bringing relief, is not a victory for governance," it added.

The PDP also criticised the wife of the governor, Mrs Olufolake AbdulRasaq, for what it described as an "insensitive attempt to downplay" the abduction. The party said her claim that the incident was only an "attempted attack" was misleading, given the confirmed release of 38 abducted worshippers.

"If, as the First Lady claimed, the attack was only an 'attempt,' then who were the 38 people released today?" the statement asked.

The Eruku attacks the latest in a string of violent incidents linked to bandit groups reportedly operating along the Kwara-Kogi-Ekiti border axis. Communities in Ekiti LGA, Kaiama, Baruteen and parts of Moro have faced increased abductions, killings and raids in recent years, prompting calls for a comprehensive security overhaul.