Police in Ogun State on Thursday arrested two suspects over the alleged abduction of Pastor Mapai Samuel in charge of ZOE Family International church, Odo-Eran in Abeokuta, the state capital.
The suspects – Ibikunle Opeyemi, a lady and Kadiri Jamiu – were arrested following a distress call received by policemen at Aregbe divisional headquarters.
The Police Spokesman, Abimbola Oyeyemi told newsmen in Abeokuta that two men in military camouflage accompanied by a woman had invaded the church while the pastor was preaching at 8 pm, dragged him out of the Church and took him away to an unknown destination.
According to him, shortly after the clergyman was taken away, the invaders called to demand a ransom.
Oyeyemi said the Divisional Police Officer at Aregbe Division, CSP Ikechukwu Gabriel, alongside his detectives immediately embarked on a “technical and intelligence-based investigation.”
He said the Gabriel-led team later discovered that the suspects were hiding somewhere around the Adigbe area of Abeokuta.
Oyeyemi said the DPO and his men stormed the alleged kidnappers’ hideout, rescued the victim and apprehended two suspects.
The PPRO, however, said the two men in military camouflage escaped.
“On interrogation, the woman amongst them claimed to have been in a business relationship with the pastor, and that the Pastor cheated her in the course of the business which made her contact the three men to kidnap the Pastor to teach him a lesson,” Oyeyemi said.
He quoted the Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, to have ordered the immediate transfer of the suspects to the anti-kidnapping unit of the state criminal investigation department for discreet investigation.
Oyeyemi said the CP also directed that other members of the gang must be arrested, while he praised his men for their quick response to the distress call.