Police Nab Pastor Trying to Collect N3M Ransom after Kidnapping Himself

Matilda Omonaiye/

Police have arrested a clergyman in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital for allegedly organising his own kidnap.

NewsmakersNG learnt that the 31-year-old clergyman, identified as Rev. Adewuyi Adegoke, also arranged with a 25-year-old accomplice, identified as Oluwadare Sunday, to demand N3million ransom from his congregation.

The suspect, who is the Minister in charge of a first generation Orthodox Church in Ado-Ekiti, reportedly 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 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.

They almost got away with it.

Detectives, however, intercepted the pastor’s accomplice who came to collect the ransom today in Okeyinmi area of Ado-Ekiti, after which he led them to the hotel where the pastor had been holding up.

NewsmakersNG learnt that the arrested suspected accomplice was tracked by detectives through a mobile phone that he was using to make contact.

When contacted, the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police (CP), Mr Amba Asuquo, confirmed to NewsmakersNG 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.”

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