Gunmen abduct pastor’s wife in Kwara

By Mosunmola Ayobami,Ilorin

Unidentified armed men, numbering about seven and suspected to be kidnappers on Thursday night invaded a sleepy Elerinjare community in the Ifelodun local government area of Kwara state, abducting wife of a Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) pastor during the attack.

The abducted wife of the pastor, identified as Mrs. Blessing Ajiboye, was abducted alongside two other shop assistants while attending to customers in her shop.

It was also gathered that the two shop assistants later regained freedom.

The investigation gathered that the incident happened at about 8:45pm at the trading shop being operated by both the pastor and his wife.

Narrating his experience, the man of God, Pastor Johnson Olalekan Ajiboye, said that the gunmen, who included two women, attacked the ever busy shop from a nearby bush beside the Community Primary School located in the area.

Pastor Ajiboye, who said that he stepped out of the shop to pick am item from their residence situated nearby the shop when he heard the gunshots.

He said that shouts from his wife made him to call out from the balcony of the house, only for the hoodlums to shoot at windows and doors of his house, making it difficult for him to come out to do anything to help.

“The gunmen did not touch or cart away any money. They only grabbed my 34-year-old wife, Blessing Ajiboye, after removing the baby tied to her back. They dropped the baby on the ground”, he said.

It was also gathered that one neighbour said to be sitting near the shop was hit by bullet and was said to be currently receiving medical treatment at a nearby private hospital.

Two other shop assistants that were earlier declared missing along with the wife of the pastor, were said to have been found after the pandemonium that ensued.

The traditional ruler of the Elerinjare community, Olu of Elerinjare, Oba Tajudeen Olaitan, was said to have held meeting with leaders of Fulani living in the community, while members of the local vigilante were already on ground to complement effort of the men of the anti-kidnap squad of the state Police command to comb the area for possible arrest of the suspected kidnappers.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ajayi Okasanmi, said that he was yet to get details of the incident.