……..What began as a testimony about success allegedly became the blueprint for a kidnap plot, with the IRT arresting four suspects, including two church insiders, before the operation was executed.
The Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Nigeria Police Force has foiled an elaborate plot by members of a church to kidnap a prophetess and assistant pastor of the church, arresting four suspects allegedly involved in the planned abduction and recovering a locally made firearm, a vehicle allegedly procured for the operation and other items linked to the planned crime.
The suspects were paraded by the IRT as part of the unit’s recent operational achievements in the fight against kidnapping, highway robbery and other violent crimes in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and its environs.
The case, according to the IRT, was one of the most revealing among the investigations presented during the parade because the alleged plot involved people who had been members of the same church as the intended victim for several years and who, by virtue of their relationship with her, had access to information about her activities, movements and personal circumstances.
Speaking during the parade, the IRT commander, DCP Adamu Muazu, said the development should serve as a serious warning to members of the public, particularly worshippers, about the need to be careful with the information they disclose in churches and other public gatherings.
He said the police investigation showed that information contained in a testimony given by the intended victim in church was allegedly used by some members of the congregation to develop a plan to kidnap her, making it necessary for people to exercise greater discretion when discussing their financial circumstances, business achievements and other personal matters in public.
The intended victim, identified as Prophetess Elizabeth, is an assistant pastor of the church and had been a member of the congregation for several years.
According to the police, she had given a testimony during a church service in which she spoke about her personal achievements and how she had been able to establish a business. Investigators said the information allegedly attracted the interest of some members of the church, who subsequently began discussing how they could abduct her and take advantage of their knowledge of her financial situation.
The police said the alleged plot was not an impulsive decision but one that involved planning, communication, mobilisation of additional persons and the procurement of materials that could be used to execute the abduction.
Police said the principal suspect, identified as David Obaje, had worked as the woman’s driver for about three months and had also been a member of the church for approximately four years, giving him knowledge of her movements and routine, while another suspect, David Dennis, had reportedly been a member of the church for about six years and served as a bodyguard to the senior pastor.
According to information obtained from the suspects during interrogation, the alleged conspirators communicated through a WhatsApp group, where details of the proposed operation were discussed and arrangements were allegedly made for other persons to participate. The investigation further indicated that money was allegedly sent to facilitate the involvement of another person from Kogi State, identified as Dennis’s brother, who was expected to travel down to participate in carrying out the planned abduction.
The suspects allegedly planned to execute the operation after the woman closed from an evening church service on October 1. According to the account obtained from the suspects, the conspirators had arranged a vehicle which would be used to block or deliberately hit the victim’s car as she drove away from the church. The intention, according to the police, was to create what would appear to be a normal road incident and compel the woman to stop her vehicle so that the suspects could approach her, overpower her and take her away.
The police said the vehicle allegedly intended for the operation was recovered during the investigation, providing investigators with further evidence of the preparations allegedly made by the suspects before the intended attack.
The suspects were also said to have identified a location that was to serve as a hideout where the woman would be taken and held after the abduction, indicating that the alleged conspirators had already considered what would happen to the victim after she was taken from the church
Another aspect of the investigation revealed that the suspects allegedly went as far as obtaining a firearm for the operation.
According to the account given by the suspects during interrogation, the gun was purchased from a vigilante group for N120,000. The suspects reportedly told investigators that it was a locally made firearm obtained from vigilantes, while the police subsequently recovered the weapon and described it during the parade as a fabricated AK-47.
The police also alleged that the suspects stole a security uniform as part of preparations for the operation.
The police said these discoveries showed that the alleged conspirators had moved beyond discussing the crime and had begun putting in place the materials and logistics they believed would be necessary to carry it out.
The planned abduction was, however, disrupted after the police received intelligence about the alleged operation before the suspects could execute it.
Acting on the information, IRT operatives moved against the suspects and arrested them, thereby preventing the woman from being abducted after the evening service. The police also recovered the vehicle allegedly prepared for the operation and the firearm reportedly procured by the suspects.
Muazu said the fact that the alleged plot originated within the same church community as the intended victim made the case particularly disturbing and demonstrated the importance of security consciousness even within places regarded as safe environments.
He said people should not assume that every person who listens to their testimony or hears details of their financial success has only good intentions, stressing that criminals can sometimes use information obtained from public gatherings to identify and target potential victims.
The IRT commander therefore advised members of the public, particularly worshippers, to regulate the kind of testimonies and personal information they disclose in churches.
He said while testimonies are an important part of religious worship, individuals should be mindful of revealing sensitive information about their wealth, businesses, financial achievements, properties, movements and other details that could expose them to criminals who may be present among the congregation.
He urged worshippers to exercise discretion when giving testimonies and avoid providing information that could make them vulnerable to criminals.
According to him, the case involving Prophetess Elizabeth demonstrates how information that may be shared innocently as part of a testimony can allegedly be interpreted differently by individuals with criminal intentions and subsequently used in planning an attack.
Muazu also called on church authorities to take the security of their congregations more seriously, particularly churches located on the outskirts of towns and in isolated areas where worshippers may become vulnerable when leaving evening services. He advised religious organisations to pay greater attention to the security implications of their locations, access roads, entry and exit points and the movement of members after services.
He specifically advised that churches should, where possible, be established in areas within towns and communities where there is greater human activity and easier access to security services, rather than in isolated outskirts where criminals may find it easier to monitor worshippers or intercept them after evening programmes.
He said churches located in relatively secluded areas should strengthen their security arrangements and ensure that members are not left exposed when services end late in the day.
The police commander said church managements should also consider security measures around evening services, including proper monitoring of vehicles entering and leaving their premises, adequate lighting, controlled access and security awareness among ushers, church workers and other personnel. He stressed that religious institutions have a responsibility to ensure that their members can attend worship without being unnecessarily exposed to criminal elements.
The case also raised concerns about the security implications of allowing individuals who have close access to members of a congregation to obtain sensitive information about their routines and personal circumstances. The police said the alleged involvement of a former driver and a church bodyguard showed how criminals could potentially exploit positions of trust and proximity to gain information about their intended victims.
Muazu said the police would continue to investigate the case to determine the full extent of the alleged conspiracy and establish the roles played by all those connected to the planned abduction. He disclosed that investigators were also pursuing other persons who may have been contacted or mobilised through the WhatsApp group, including individuals allegedly brought in from outside Abuja to participate in the operation.
The IRT commander said the investigation was still ongoing and that the suspects would be prosecuted in accordance with the law after the conclusion of investigations. He added that the police were also working to establish the source of the locally made firearm and the circumstances surrounding its alleged purchase from vigilantes.
The IRT said the case demonstrated the importance of intelligence-led policing in preventing kidnapping before a victim is actually taken. Rather than waiting for the planned abduction to occur and subsequently launching a rescue operation, the police were able to obtain information about the alleged conspiracy, identify the persons involved and intervene before the plan could be executed.
The development also underscored the need for stronger cooperation between members of the public and security agencies, particularly because information from communities and individuals can help law enforcement identify criminal plans at an early stage. The police therefore urged Nigerians to report suspicious movements, conversations, recruitment efforts or preparations that may indicate an impending crime.
The IRT further paraded suspects arrested in connection with a separate highway robbery case as part of the unit’s operational achievements during the period under review. Two suspects, identified as Honor and James, aged 28, and Inusa Sayedu, also 28, were arrested in connection with the alleged robbery operation, while a white vehicle reportedly linked to the suspects was recovered.
The police said investigations into the highway robbery case were continuing, with operatives working to determine whether the suspects were connected to other robbery incidents and to establish the full extent of their activities.
Muazu said the cases presented during the parade represented only a fraction of the investigations and arrests recorded by the IRT, noting that several other cases were still undergoing investigation and would be made public when the investigations reached the appropriate stage.
He assured Nigerians that the IRT would continue to deploy intelligence, surveillance and other investigative capabilities to identify criminal networks, disrupt their plans and bring those responsible for kidnapping, robbery and other violent crimes to justice.
The police commander reiterated his appeal to members of the public to remain vigilant, particularly when attending evening programmes, and to avoid unnecessarily exposing personal information that could make them targets. He stressed that security was a shared responsibility and that the cooperation of citizens, religious organisations and community leaders remained essential to preventing criminal activities.
The foiling of the alleged church kidnapping plot, according to the police, is a reminder that criminal threats can sometimes emerge from unexpected quarters and that vigilance must extend even to environments where people ordinarily feel most secure. The police therefore urged worshippers to be cautious about the information they disclose, while calling on churches to strengthen their security arrangements and ensure that their locations and evening activities do not inadvertently expose members to avoidable risks.
