5 Kidnapped RCCG Pastors Rescued
The five pastors of the Redeemed Christian Church of God kidnapped on the Sagamu-Benin highway on Friday have been rescued, the Ogun State Police Command said.
Earlier on Saturday, the woman in the group, Mrs. Ibelegbo Chidinma, a deaconess was rescued.
The rescuing of four other pastors followed, Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi said. The four are Chidozie Eluwa, Chiemela Iroha, Okoro Ohowukwe and Ndubuisi Owuabueze.
Oyeyemi said all the kidnapped victims were rescued unhurt from their abductors by operatives of the Command.
The Inspector-General of Police ordered a massive manhunt for the kidnappers on Friday. He deploying the Tactical and Operational assets of the Force, along with the Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Command for the search and rescue operation.
They were to comb J3 Area of Ogbere on the highway, where they were kidnapped.
The five officials of the RCCG, were on their way to Lagos from the Eastern part of the country when they were abducted by gunmen.
According to the command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Abimbola Oyeyemi, about 10 hoodlums, intercepted the commercial bus marked KW 230 XA in which the kidnapped victims were traveling from Abia State to Lagos.
Oyeyemi disclosed that the commercial bus, belonging to Abia Line Transport Company, was intercepted at the J3 area of Ogbere in Ijebu Waterside local government area of the state.
However, the police are yet to announce a breakthrough in the investigation of the killing of a Catholic priest, Rev. Father Paul Offu, who was killed on Thursday.
Offu was the Priest in charge of St. James the Greater Parish Catholic Church Ugbawka in Enugu state.
Crack detectives from the IGP-Intelligence Response Unit (IRT), the Forensic and Homicide sections of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) have been deployed to Enugu State to complement the Command in their investigations into the unfortunate incident.
In addition, the AIG in charge of Zone 9 Headquarters has been directed to mobilize more units of Police Mobile Force (PMF) personnel to black spots in Enugu State.
