A pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Ogun State was on Saturday killed by unidentified gunmen while seven worshippers were abducted in the church.
According to the Ogun State So-Safe Corps Commander, Soji Ganzallo, during the rescue operation by his men, one of the kidnappers was killed, while the seven church members were rescued.
The So-Safe Director of Information and Public Relations, Moruf Yusuf, who spoke on behalf of the commander, quoted Ganzallo as saying that the incident occurred at about 12 am on Saturday, July 1.
Ganzallo said, “The special operation team of the Corps, Owode-Egba Zonal Command, under ACC Jimoh Rasaki Omoniyi, received a distress call that some of the members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Desires of Nations Parish, under Ogun Province 22, Abule-Ori in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area were attacked during a vigil; seven members of the church were kidnapped and the pastor killed.”
He added that the combatants of the corps who made the rescue were charged to go after the suspects to rescue the victims unhurt, stating that the officers swung into action immediately.
Ganzallo further disclosed that the efforts of the corps yielded a positive result as “the seven victims were rescued unhurt, while one of the kidnappers was killed and many of the suspects sustained serious injury during a fire exchange.”
He added that the joint team of the police and the So-Safe Corps were after the fleeing suspected kidnappers to capture them alive.
READ ALSO: Police launch manhunt for killers of woman accused of witchcraft
He noted that the body of the dead kidnapper had been deposited in a nearby morgue.
Meanwhile, a road accident in Umunya, Odumodu Junction in Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State, on Saturday, left no fewer than eight passengers dead.
The accident, which involved two trailers, one Jetta Sienna bus, and one black Toyota car, all of which were severely damaged, was said to have occurred as a result of over-speeding.
A motorcycle rider, who identified himself as Mr Kenechukwu, an eyewitness, said one of the trucks involved lost its brake while travelling from Onitsha to Enugu.
He said: “I was waiting for passengers when I suddenly saw a trailer coming from Onitsha at full speed. Immediately it got closer, the driver couldn’t hold the brake, thereby ramming into an oncoming trailer and a bus loaded with passengers.”
One of the survivors, who was too dazed to speak, was quoted as saying that their vehicle was on its way to Enugu when suddenly she heard a big bang, and all she could remember was blood, passengers and their travelling bags littered everywhere.
Some of the injured passengers were said to have been moved to a hospital, while the corpses of the dead among them were deposited in an undisclosed hospital.