The police have located the hideout of the kidnappers of five pastors of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, and efforts to rescue them are ongoing.
The police made this known on Friday.
The rescue team is led by the Commissioner of Police in Ogun State, Bashir Makama.
The police in a statement issued by the Public Relations Officer of Ogun Command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the police were however being tactical and professional in order to secure the lives of the victims.
The police identified the pastors kidnapped as Chidioze Eluwa, Chiemela Iroha, Okoro Ohowukwe, Ndubuizi Owuabueze, and Ibeleji Chidinma.
The statement reads: “On the 1st of August 2019, at about 3:30 p.m., the Ogun State Police Command received 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 among the passengers, namely, Chidioze Eluwa, Chiemela Iroha, Okoro Ohowukwe, Ndubuizi Owuabueze, and Ibeleji Chidinma, were abducted and taken to the forest.
“The Commissioner of Police, Bashir Makama, is 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 geo-located, but our men are trying to be tactical and professional in order not to jeopardise 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.”
General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, announced the kidnapping of the five pastors on Friday while addressing the congregation of the church at the camp along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The pastors were on their way to attend the church’s ministers’ conference in Lagos when they were kidnapped, he said.
Expressing sadness over the incident, he charged the congregation to pray for the release of the abductees.
