Drama as Victims of Ondo Church Refuse to Leave Police Custody

Fidelis David in Akure

In what could be described as a drama, some of the victims rescued from an underground church at Valentino area of Ondo town in Ondo West Local Government Area of  Ondo State by the operatives of the state Police Command have refused to leave the police custody.

THISDAY had reported that no fewer than 77 people-comprising 54 adults and 23 children-were allegedly hypnotised, abducted and kept in an underground cell of a church known as Whole Bible Believer Church by the pastor of the church, Mr. Anifowose David, and his 45-year-old assistant, Mr. Josiah Peter.

THISDAY gathered that the Assistant Pastor, Peter, claimed rapture was going to take place by September this year, hence he encouraged the church members to stay behind in the church.

Briefing journalists yesterday on the latest development, at state Police Command headquarters in Akure,  the  state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Funmilayo Odunlami, said despite different appeals, the victims vowed to remain in the police custody until their pastor and his assistant are released.

Odunlami said: “Some of the parents said if not for what happened, they were not aware that their children have left school, while some said they were aware that their children were in church but didn’t know the church.

“Despite all our thoughts, some of the victims refused to go home, saying they are ready to remain in the police custody until their pastor and his assistant are released.

We are trying to work out modalities on what to do to them to get them rehabilitated. We have over 10 of them who have refused to go home.”

The PPRO added that the pastor, David, and Peter would be charged to court upon completion of investigation.

In his reaction, the state Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), said the government was working out modalities to rehabilitate those that need rehabilitation and might go legally by taking custody of the children.

Akeredolu, through the state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Adebunmi Osadaun, said: “We just interviewed some of the children who are between aged 11 and 17 years old.  The way they spoke seems they have been hypnotised. They speak with so much confidence that God will soon come (rapture) and they are on a seven-day camp. They have not eaten for seven days and they still want to go on fasting.

“What baffles me as a mother is that these children are already hardened from the interview we conducted with them. They are indoctrinated. Some of the parents of the children even told us that they left the church when they started seeing strange things. We also want to know if the pastor partially believe there should be know education, then were his own children not educated and we were made to know that he has two children who have graduated, and are also members of the church.”

The governor noted that: “The parents also alleged that the children refused to take immunisation, and the children even confirmed that. They said it’s evil to take immunisation.

“We also want to have a data base of the children through family tracing from the Ministry so that we can get how these children were hypnotised and indoctrinated. And if they need rehabilitation, then we would have to go legally by taking custody of them.

“With the way some of the children are talking, so of them should even be taken to the rehabilitation homes. They are living in different world entirely. They look so wired.”