Police arraign pastor for faking own kidnap

A pastor of the Christ Apostolic Church, Samuel Adegbohungbe, and his girl friend were on Thursday arraigned before an Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrate’s Court for allegedly setting up the pastor’s own kidnap.

The 32-year-old cleric and his lover will celebrate the Christmas and New Year festivities in the Ado-Ekiti prison where they had been ordered to be detained till January 19, 2011 when their case is billed for mentioning.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports indicated that the pastor was accused of planning the kidnap to obtain money from members of his church.

Adegbohungbe was apprehended alongside his girlfriend, Modupe Afolayan, at their unnamed hideout at the time of his claimed kidnapping.

Police Prosecutor, Femi Fajoju, told the court that the pastor had on November 30 “faked his kidnapping.”

He said the accused had alerted one of his sisters, Mrs. Ruth Adegbohungbe, and one of the pastors of the church, Mr. Ajibola Damilola, about his abduction by some unknown persons whom he said were demanding a ransom of N200,000 before he could be released.

“The accused persons gave a Zenith Bank account number where the money should be paid into and after it was paid, he was notified about it.

“Unknown to him, the police and the bank officials had been alerted about the situation at hand.

“When he got to the bank to make a withdrawal from the bank account, he was apprehended by the police officers who were on guard,” the prosecutor said.

He said the offence was punishable under Section 192 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 30, Volume 2, Laws of Ondo State as applicable to Ekiti.

The pastor pleaded guilty to the charge while the lady pleaded not guilty, claiming she was ignorant of the arranged kidnap.

NAN reports that the accused persons were not represented by any counsel.

In his ruling, the Chief Magistrate, Mr. R.A. Adegboye, ordered that they be remanded in Ado-Ekiti prisons until January 19 when the case is billed for mention.