Ekiti Pastor Arranges Kidnap, Demands N3m From Church Members

A pastor who is a Minister in charge of a Methodist Church Nigeria, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Adewuyi Adegoke has been arrested by men of the Nigeria Police for allegedly organising his own kidnap.

Eyewitnessreporters gathered that Adegoke who was nabbed by men of the Nigeria Police, alongside a 25-year-old accomplice, Oluwadare Sunday, demanded N3million ransom from his unsuspecting congregation.

The clergyman who earlier claimed to have been abducted was said to have vanished on Sunday evening while purportedly travelling between Esa-Oke in Osun State and Aramoko-Ekiti on his way to Ado-Ekiti.

His purported abductors were said to have later contacted the church members to demand a ransom, which they insisted must be paid latest by Thursday to prevent the Reverend from being killed.

Detectives, however, intercepted the pastor’s accomplice who came to collect the ransom on Wednesday (today) at Okeyinmi area of Ado-Ekiti, after which he led them to the hotel where the pastor was cooling off.

When contacted, the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police (CP), Mr Amba Asuquo, confirmed that the command is investigating an incident closely related to the story but declined to confirm the identities of the suspects in the command’s custody.

His words: “Yes there is something close to that, but we are still investigating and will come out with the details later.”

When asked if the Reverend is among the suspects in custody, the CP said: “I know we have some suspects in custody in connection with the incident but I cannot reveal their identities to you now.”

When the story of the Reverend’s kidnap broke yesterday, several members of his congregation took to social media to solicit support towards his rescue.

One of such posts by one Awoyemi Matthew on the Facebook page of the victim read: “People of GOD. everywhere. please let us raise prayer altars for this vibrant servant of GOD. REV Adewuyi Adegoke. who was kidnapped by Fulani herdsmen recently between Ekiti and Osun state.”