Winners pastor abducted during prayer session in Calabar

Firstclass newsline learnt that the development created confusion
among members of the church, who had gathered at the church to pray
for the success of the Sunday service.
The confusion, according to an eyewitness, stemmed from the fact that
the church is located next to the headquarters of the Airport Division
of the Nigeria Police in Calabar, but it took officers and men of the
division 30 minutes to arrive at the church after they were contacted
for an emergency.
The eyewitness, who craved anonymity because of the sensitive nature
of the crime, told a source on Sunday that three armed kidnappers
entered the church building unnoticed during the prayer session while
a fourth person, who was masked, identified the pastor in the midst of
the praying group.
She said Ademola was immediately cornered by the abductors and taken
away after he was identified, adding that it was likely that the
masked person that identified the pastor was familiar with the church.
The source also said that the kidnappers had their waiting vehicle
parked just by the entrance to the church along the ever-busy IBB Way,
directly opposite the Margaret Ekpo International Airport.
They (suspected kidnappers) reportedly operated for more than five
minutes before zooming off towards the Goodluck Jonathan Bypass.
She said, "The kidnappers came in during the normal Saturday prayers
around 8pm. A group, which includes the pastor, normally gathers to
pray for the next day's (Sunday) service. They were praying when the
kidnappers came in unnoticed.
"Three of them were armed while a fourth one, who was not armed, came
forward to identify Pastor Ademola to the kidnappers. Their vehicle
was on standby. I am sure the person that identified the pastor among
those praying was an insider; someone who knows the church. They
walked in quietly when the prayer session was on."
Another eyewitness said the police were contacted while the kidnappers
were still inside the church, but added that their response was slow.
The eyewitness disclosed that the kidnappers dragged the pastor to the
waiting vehicle outside the dark premises and headed towards the newly
constructed Goodluck Jonathan Bypass.
"They wasted some time before they drove towards the Bypass. I am sure
if the police had come at the nick of time, they would have been able
to rescue the pastor," he said.
But the State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Hogan Bassey,
disagreed with the insinuations of delayed response, saying the
police, led by the Divisional Police Officer of the Airport Division,
Mr. Asuquo Ebong, stormed the venue immediately the information got to
them.
The police went there as soon as they got the distress call. The DPO
was physically there with the team that went there. We are seriously
trailing the kidnappers and I assure you that the pastor will soon be
released," Bassey added.
Firstclassnewsline.net