Gunmen kidnap popular Nigerian pastor (PHOTO)

Gunmen kidnap popular Nigerian pastor (PHOTO)

A popular Television preacher and motivational speaker, Reverend Mike Ochigbo, has been kidnapped by gunmen in Adamawa State.

Mike Ochigbo

Ochigbo, who is the General Overseer of Freedom Power Chapel, was forced at gunpoint out of his home in the wee hours, of Wednesday, from his residence located in Nyibango.

Similarly, one Pastor John Moses has also been reportedly kidnapped the same night.

A resident of the area, Joseph Kuna, who pleaded anonymity, said, he learnt, Wednesday, that gunmen, invaded the residence of the Pentecostal pastor, around 2 am, and whisked him away after firing sporadically into the air.

The incident is the latest of several underreported security breaches of kidnapping for ransom in the area, which lies along the same satellite corridor with the Gibson Jalo Military Cantonment, hosting the 23rd Armoured Brigade.

One in particular, the gruesome killing of Hinjari Yoila, a popular philanthropist and pastor, of a New Generation Church, earlier in the year, drew attention, to the plight of residents, and to insecurity in an area that has assumed notoriety.

The resulting official response after the death of Hinjari, saw, the setting up of a military-monitored checkpoint along that corridor by the military authorities but this from all accounts has not deterred the daredevil gunmen.

According to Joseph, he only learnt of the kidnap of the televangelist this morning.

The spokesperson for Adamawa State Police Command, SP Suleiman Nguroje, said operatives have been deployed to rescue those abducted.

According to him, the state Commissioner of Police, CP Afolabi Babatola, has deployed operatives of the Command drawn from the Special Rapid Response Team (SRRT), Crack Squad and other Tactical Squads to carry out a tactical and intelligence-driven 24/7 operation on Criminal Hideouts and Black Spots to rescue the Kidnapped, Rev. Mike Ochigbo and another Pastor John Moses, who was also kidnapped by gunmen.

As of the time of filing this report, Pastor Ochigbo’s whereabouts are still unknown. His abductors have yet to also contact his family.