The General Overseer of the Solid Rock Kingdom Church, Apostle John Okoriko, has been kidnapped at the church premises located at Ibekwe Akpan Nya in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State on Tuesday.
This is coming as the suspected kidnapers have reached out to the family demanding a ramsom of N100m for his release.
It was gathered that the gunmen scaled through the high fence, forced their way into the church compound and started shooting into the air to scare their victims.
An eyewitness, who did not want his name mentioned, told our correspondent in Uyo on Wednesday that the hoodlums dragged the octogenarian outside the gate before he was whisked away .
According to the eyewitness, the police were contacted immediately and some youths joined the policemen to comb the bushes in search of the pastor.
He said the incident has thrown the church and entire Ibekwe community into panic as the whereabout of the pastor is still unknown.
“Suspected gunmen came to the church premises after jumping through the wall and made their way to the sitting room, where they dragged the pastor away. They shot into the air to scare away their victims.
“The police were contacted almost immediately, and some of the police officers joined the youths in search of the missing pastor but to no avail,” he said.
It was gathered that almost all the branches of the church held prayer sessions to pray for the man of God to regain his freedom
The spokesman of the Akwa Ibom State police, Odiko Macedon, who confirmed the abduction of the pastor said the command has commenced investigation into the matter.
He noted that the abduction happened on Tuesday, April 19, at about 5 p.m. at his church residence in Mkpat Enin.
“We have received the report and the Commissioner of police in the State, Andrew Amiengheme has ordered an investigation into the incident. As I speak a lot has been done already, I want to believe that we will get to the root of it in no distance time,” Macdon said.
