Police detectives have arrested two pastors in Ondo and rescued 54 worshipers with 23 children, who were been held in an underground apartment, sited under The Whole Believers Bible Church in Ondo state.
According to multiple reports, the members were deceived and hypnotized by their pastors to remain in church under the guise of a prophecy that Jesus christ will arrive on September.
The perpetrators, David Anifowose and Peter Josiah have been apprehended by the law enforcement agency. The arrest was made possible, when members that did not believe in the prophecy, and who knew about the situation contacted the police.
The pastors instructed the members to stay in the church and partake in a 7 days programme in order to prepare themselves for the coming of Christ. The supposed men of God also instructed that they abandon their everyday duties for this preparation.
After the police have been contacted, the members who were forcefully held in an underground chamber were rescued.
See Also: Pastor’s Wife Indicts Husband for Sleeping With Church Members, Files For Divorce
Mrs Jessica Akintemi, whose husband and two daughters were among the victims, stated what actually happened.
“ He abandoned work and took along my two girls, Ayomide, 15, in SS3 and Olamide, 13, who is in SS2″.
“We are former members of the church. I left when the assistant pastor preached that he wanted to rewrite King James Version of the Bible and that he knew the new name of Jesus Christ”.
“ He told the congregation that Jesus Christ is coming in September and that members should stay in church, abandon sinful life by staying in God’s presence”.
“He told us that rapture is coming in September and that we should camp in church to receive glorification body to meet Christ when he appears”.
“The pastors also asked students to stop schooling, workers should stop working, wives to leave their husbands and husbands to do same and come to meet their Lord”.
Despite the allegations, both pastors, Mr. Anifowose and Mr. Josiah refuted that they deceived the members of their church. They further stated that each member were present in the church on their own accord.
A police representative, Funmi Odunlami, confirmed that they were contacted severally concerning the strange occurrence in the church. She stated that the members were tricked and held hostage under the guise of the pastors’s doctrines.
Source: vanguard