Armed herdsmen invade Abeokuta CAC Prayer Mountain, kidnap worshippers; police demand N300,000 for investigation

In the early hours of Wednesday, December 2, 2020, some Fulani men suspected to kidnappers stormed a CAC prayer mountain at Wasimi, near Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

It was gathered that the armed men raided the prayer mountain, collecting cash, phones and other valuables from the worshipers while attacking some pastors and congregants with machetes.

The armed men did not stop at just robbing the worshippers, they kidnapped two middle-aged women and the wife of a top Pastor on the mountain.

A witness said the armed men came around 1 am in the morning shooting sporadically into the air before storming the chalets where they broke the bedrooms and robbed all occupants before taking away the women.

One of the clerics simply identified as Sanyaolu, who spoke to Yoruba media outlet, Irohinoodua, said:

“I was in the auditorium of the Church of the prayer mountain. The armed Fulani men came around 1 am. They attacked me. They divided themselves. Four of them were in the hall. Another four went into the rooms and raided the women. They used cutlasses on me. I was bleeding. They did not stop. I was asked to lead them to the rooms and knock the doors of Pastors.”

He said the Ogun State vigilante who cleared the bush all night, arrested three of the suspects

Among those kidnapped were one Madam Mojisola, as well as another Christiana Atolagbe, an Evangelist with CAC, who were among those visiting the prayer mountain for the fasting program from November 23.

The kidnappers were said to have called relatives of the victims using the numbers 08114022543 and 07042476569 to demand N2 before they would release the captives.

A family source said, “What I sense is a well-organised crime syndicate.

He alleged that two high-profiled men came to the police station in two jeeps to bail the suspects who were earlier arrested by the vigilante.

The case has been transferred to State Police Anti-Kidnapping Unit.

However, there are concerns that the police are requesting N300,000 from the victims to further conduct an investigation into how the kidnappers attacked the prayer mountain. To this end, the Human Rights community in the state has picked interest in the matter.