RCCG General Overseer Adeboye’s pastor felled by gunmen’s bullet

A pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has been killed while at least seven members were abducted during a vigil.

The Pastor was identified as Kayode Oluwakemi, 56, who was shot in the chest.

Some yet-to-be apprehended gunmen, numbering about 10 had invaded the church at Abule-Ori in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State on Saturday during an all-night prayers.

It was not immediately known why the the pastor was killed while the gunmen kidnapped the seven worshippers.

“The gunmen swooped on the church in the village few minutes past midnight while the vigil was on.

“They shot sporadically to scare the congregants before they moved in and kidnapped seven of them while others escaped.

“Unfortunately, the pastor in charge was shot and killed may be while trying to escape,” a source said.

Confirming the incident, the Commander of the state security outfit, So-Safe Corps , Soji Ganzallo, said his officers rescued the seven church members and killed one of the kidnappers during the operation.

Ganzallo, in a statement issued by the So-Safe Corps Director of Information and Public Relations, Moruf Yusuf, 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, while seven members of the church were kidnapped and the pastor killed.

“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.”

Also, confirming the incident, the spokesman for the state Police Command, DSP Omolola Odutola, said: One of the pastors of the church, Adesina Oyesegun, reported the incident at the Police Station in the area.

“Oyesegun said he was in church with other pastors and church members, when some hoodlums numbering about seven invaded their church, attacked them with guns, cutlasses and other dangerous weapons with intent to kidnap members.

“The hoodlums were shooting sporadically, and as a result, one Pastor Kayode Oluwakemi, 56, sustained bullet wounds on his chest and unfortunately died on the spot.

“The villagers and security men in the area confronted the kidnappers in a gun duel and the victims have regained their freedom.

“Some of the suspected kidnappers escaped with bullet wounds, one yet to be identified suspected kidnapper was neutralised while combing the bush and the corpse was deposited at Owode Egba General Hospital Morgue.”

The PPRO said police had launched a man-hunt effort for the fleeing gunmen.