UPDATE: How Police rescued abducted RCCG pastors, others

Five people abducted by kidnappers at J3 Area in Ogbere axis of Ogun State, on Saturday, regained their freedom from their captors.

The victims were Chidinma Ibelegbo, Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Deaconess Chidinma Ibelegbo,  a Pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Chimela Iroha, Okoro Olowukwe Chidioze Eluwa and Ndubusi Owuabueze.

They were abducted last Thursday while travelling from the Eastern part of the country to Lagos.

Tribune Online learnt that hoodlums numbering about 10 stormed out of a forest around the area, stopped their commercial vehicle and led them into the forest.

Briefing newsmen on Saturday evening at the Police Officers Mess,  Abeokuta,  the State Commissioner of Police, Bashir Makama, said all the abductees were rescued unhurt.

Makama said the tactical rescue operation by his men, with the support of local vigilance group and hunters paved way for the feat.

The Police boss said his men were deployed in large numbers to the area where the incident happened and that their effort yielded a positive result, when the only female among them,  Ibilegbo was rescued in the early hours of Saturday.

Makama said contrary to reports that all the five victims were ministers of RCCG who were heading to the Redemption Camp for Ministers’ Conference, only Ibilegbo was a Pastor with the Church.

He, however, said four suspects whom he referred to as “soft targets” are in Police net, saying efforts are on to arrest the real ones behind the crime.

One of the victims, Chimela Iroha, who identified himself as the son of James Iroha alias “Gringory” of the New Masquerade, while narrating his ordeal in the hands of the abductors, said he was manhandled

 He said the hoodlums made them to trek 30km in the forest and forced them to sleep in the swamp from the day of their abduction till the time they were rescued by the Police.