Armed Fulani storm Abeokuta prayer mountain, kidnap worshipers, Police ask victims for N300,000
By Olubodun Are
Armed Fulani men on Wednesday stormed a prayer mountain in Wasimi, near Abeokuta.
The armed men who stormed the prayer mountain raided the worshipers collecting cash, phones and other valuables from the worshipers.
Some of the Pastors and worshipers were attacked with machetes. Two middle-aged women and wife of a top Pastor on the mountain were taken away by the armed men.
Witnesses told our correspondent that the armed Fulani men came around 1am on Wednesday shooting sporadically into the air before storming the chalets where they broke the bedrooms and robbed all occupants before taking away the women.
“I was in the auditorium of the Church. The armed Fulani men came around 1am. They attacked me.They divided themselves.Four of them were in the hall. Another four went into the rooms and raided the women. They used cutlasses on me. I was bleeding. They did not stop. I was asked to lead them to the rooms and knock the doors of Pastors” Pastor Sanyaolu who was a victim told Irohinoodua.
He said the gory incidence was reported to the Ogun State Vigilante who came and searched the bush all night.
He said the Vigilante later arrested three of the armed Fulani men who were handed over to the police.
“I have been going to the prayer mountain for the past four years. I have never seen a thing like this. I can’t imagine this would happen” he said.
Irohinoodua was informed that the kidnappers that stormed the CAC Prayer mountain located at Mushin Ayanmo Mosan, Wasimi Abeokuta were all heavily armed.
Some of the kidnapped included Madam Mojisola, Christianah Atolagbe an Evangelist with CAC who were among those visiting the prayer mountain for program of days of fasting from November 23.
One of the victims said the women were kept in the wilderness all through the nights by some six armed Fulani men.
The armed Fulani men later called relatives of the victims using the following numbers 08114022543 and 07042476569 asking for ransom.
A source told Irohinoodua “They demanded for 2million before they could release their captives. Negotiation started or else they said they would. terminate their lives.”
He said he was surprised that two high profile men came in two jeeps to the police station with the hope of bailing the arrested suspects who were arrested by the Vigilante.
“What I sense is a well organised crime syndicate” he said.
The source said the case has been transferred to State Criminal Investigation Department, (CID) Eleweran Abeokuta, anti-kidnapping Squad, AKT.
Mr Olusona Durotowluwa whose family members were some of those kidnapped said the activities of the armed Fulani was embarrassing.
He said they attacked pastor Sanyaolu and others before taking away the women.
Another victim Prophet Samuel Awotunde a native of Ilesha , Osun State resident in Ijoko Ogun- State where the headquarters of his Church is situated said worshipers are traumatised and that it would take them a long time to recover.
A member of the Nigerian Human Rights Community (NHRC) that has shown interest in the case in Abeokuta however said he met the victims and that there are complaints that police have collected N300,000 from the victims.
“We have interrogated the victims. The sad aspect is that the police have collected N300,000 from the victims. They claim they need the money to conduct investigation into the case” Suleiman Abiodun a NHRC coordinator in Ogun State told Irohinoodua.
