Methodist priest fakes his own kidnap; demands GHC50k ransom from church members

A Methodist church priest, Rev. Peter Adegoke Adewuyi, has been arrested by the Ekiti State Police Command after he allegedly faked his own kidnap to collect ransom from church members and family members.

The Nation reports that the 31-year-old priest lodged in a hotel in Ado-Ekiti and hid from public view from where he and his accomplice were making calls to the members of the public to pay ransom for his release.

Pastor arrested for faking own ‘kidnap’, demands N3m 'ransom'
Rev Adegoke alongside his accomplice, Sunday Oluwadare Adewole who was helping the priest in making calls to unsuspecting members of the public to demand ransom, will be charged to court as soon as more investigation is done.

When the ‘captors’ demanded N3 million (GHC 50k) ‘ransom’, the church was thrown into utmost confusion as to how the money will be raised to get their pastor from the den of 'kidnappers'.

The fake kidnap was however busted by the police after the other person with the phone was arrested. The phone with which the GSM Number is 09078589516 was used throughout to demand for the N3 million (GHC 50k) ransom from family and church members. The priest was also tracked to a location near First Bank in Okeyinmi area of Ado Ekiti where he went to pick the ransom.

While being interrogated by the Police, Adewuyi confessed to have masterminded his own ‘kidnap’ and demanding for a N3 million (GHC50k) ransom.

The priest also confessed that he lodged at a hotel during the period of his self enforced disappearance from the public.

The lady, a mother of three, was arrested alongside two of her alleged accomplices identified as Anthony and Ezema, who joined forces with her in organizing the fake kidnap saga. The trio were able to receive the sum of N500k through Chizoba’s bank account as ransom, before luck ran out on them and they were apprehended by operatives of the Police Intelligence Response Team.