Gunmen Hijack Bus, Abduct RCCG Pastor And Other Passengers

Olugbenga Olawore, a pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), and other passengers on a 14-seater commercial bus travelling from Ipapo town in Oyo State to Lagos State have been kidnapped by gunmen who are suspected of being kidnappers.

Olawore is the pastor of RCCG, Heavens Gate Parish, Lagos Province 73, on Agbara-Lusada Road in Ogun State. His mother passed away in February.

The event reportedly happened at the Maya axis of Lanlate-Eruwa Road on Thursday at approximately five o’clock in the evening. The pastor had gone to Ipapo town to finish arranging his mother’s funeral.

His mother, Deaconess Deborah Olawore, was supposed to be buried on Friday, May 3, but the funeral was supposed to start with a Christian wake the following week on Friday, April 26.

According to a family source who spoke to the Nigerian Tribune, the gunmen contacted the pastor’s wife at around 8 p.m. and let him speak with her after holding him and the others captive.

According to reports, the pastor told his wife that he and the other hostages had been taken hostage and that the kidnappers wanted N10 million in ransom.

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According to the report, one of the kidnappers who called the wife revealed that he and his gang members were Fulani by using his native tongue.

The pastor allegedly called again the next day at around nine in the morning, asking his wife to hunt for money—even if it was just N1 million—and to stop the kidnappers from killing him, as they had done with several of the hostages.

“When the wife asked where to drop the money if it was eventually gathered from friends and relatives, the abductors beside her husband started speaking in a language she did not understand,” the source said.

“Abruptly, he cut off the call, and attempts by the wife to call back failed as the line had been switched off.

“She kept on trying the line, but it remained switched off. At about noon, she contacted a family member to go to the police station to report. That was on Friday.”

The insider went on to say that the pastor’s family met other kidnapping victims’ families when they arrived at the police station.

He was informed that the police had located the abandoned commercial bus and several victims’ phones.

The pastor’s wife apparently waited in vain for the kidnappers to call until Saturday morning, when she found out that one of the victims of the kidnapping who managed to escape had his phone and had called the police.

Hunters entered the bush and forced the abductors to release their hold, causing both them and their captives to scatter.

“Till now, she has not been able to communicate with her husband, as the kidnappers did not call,” the source added.

Although some of them had been freed, Oyo State Police Command spokesperson SP Adewale Osifeso confirmed the kidnapping case on Saturday.

According to the PPRO, police officers were in the forest and the vicinity of the incident to capture the suspects and rescue the remaining victims. They worked in tandem with other security organisations and local hunters.

“Some of the rescued victims are assisting with useful leads that can help the investigation. All routes around the area, including the adjoining forest areas, are being combed. Investigation is ongoing. Updates would be provided accordingly,” he added.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli