The Nigerian Police said Friday geographically located the forest where members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God(RCCG) abducted at the J3, Ogbere – Ijebu – Ode(Ogun State) stretch of the Lagos – Ore expressway, are kept.
The Ogun State Command of the Police which announced this development gave the names of the abductees as Chidioze Eluwa, Chiemela
Iroha, Okoro Ohowukwe, Ndubuizi Owuabueze and Ibeleji Chidinma (female).
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, spoke with reporters at the Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Abeokuta.
Abimbola, a Deputy Superintendent of Police(DSP), added the Command’s rescue team are trying to be tactical and professional in storming the location in order not to jeopardise safety of the victims.
A report by The Nation cites Abibola as saying that the victims boarded a commercial vehicle from the Eastern part of the country and were heading to the RCCG’s programme when they ran into the kidnappers who abducted them and took them into the forest.
He said, “On the 1st of August 2019, at about 3:30 pm, the Ogun state police command received an information that a commercial vehicle with registration number KW 230 XA belonging to Abia line transport company was coming from the Eastern part of the country heading towards Lagos, on getting to J3 area of Ogbere, some hoodlums numbering about 10 suddenly came out of the forest and forcefully stopped the vehicle.
“Five amongst the passengers namely Chidioze Eluwa, Chiemela Iroha, Okoro were abducted and taken to the forest.
“The commissioner of police cp Bashir Makama is personally leading the operation to rescue the victims with operatives from the command’s tactical squads combing the entire area.
“The hideout of the hoodlums has been geolocated but our men are trying to be tactical and professional in order not to jeopardize the lives of the victims we are making efforts to rescue.
“With the operation going on presently, we are rest assured that the victims will soon regain their freedom and the hoodlums will definitively be brought to book.”
Meanwhile, the General Overseer of RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has called for prayers for the release of the abducted members of the church.
He announced the abduction on Friday during his message at the ongoing ministers’ conference holding at the Redemption Camp, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
Adeboye, who said the pastors were on their way to attend the ministers’ conference, reportedly said they were abducted along Ijebu-Ode axis.
He urged members of the church to pray for their release.
“As a father, how do you think I should feel to hear that five of my children have been kidnapped while on their way to attend the Ministers Conference?” the reports quoted him as saying.
There have been calls from different parts of the country for the respected cleric to speak out more vehemently against the spate of kidnappings and others issues of mis-governance across the land.
