I went into kidnapping to raise money for charity — Lagos pastor

The Police force headquarters in Abuja has paraded a 52-year old self-acclaimed pastor, Adetokunbo Adenokpo, for abducting a dispatch rider and detaining him in an underground facility in his church in Sagamu, Lagos.

The suspect, had called the company where the dispatch rider works, Glory Master Logistics, and ordered for supply of some products to be delivered at his residence only to abduct the rider.

According to Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba, the pastor, who claims to be the General Overseer of Newlife Church of God located at Sagamu, injected Jonathan with anesthesia to weaken him, tied him and kept him for ten days before he was eventually rescued by men of the Intelligence Response Team(IRT), who also arrested the pastor and his accomplices.

The suspect in an interview with journalists, said he was ordained a pastor 22 years ago after leaving the Living Faith Church where he initially worshiped before opening his own ministry.

He said “In my church we do charity, where I share food and palliative to people and this became stronger during the COVID-19. I felt pity for people and I don’t have any money in my account and people still come to me for help”.

On how he came about the underground cell at his church where he detained the victim, he said the underground facility was built when he was attacked by some persons sometime ago.

He said the underground cell has made it possible and easy for him to escape whenever he comes under attack and that many are looking at him as a powerful man of God.

“A few weeks ago we were short of funds. So I had the idea of doing something for Ileya so I can get some bags of rice and beans and palm oil and other things to share, and probably with a ram, which we can cut and give to poor people and we thought we should get money from the rich companies and then raise money and use it to take care of poor people.

The three of us were involved in the kidnap of Jonathan with the hope of raising funds for the Ileya. I injected him because he was struggling I did not want him to be injured,” he said.