Kidnappers Kill Kogi Pastor After Collecting N1m Ransom

A clergyman with the Evangelical Church Winning All, Pastor David Musa, has been killed by his abductors after collecting N1m ransom in Kogi State.

It was gathered that the late Pastor Musa who was abducted on Saturday, November 11, 2023 in Obajana, under the Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi State was later killed on Tuesday.

A member of the church identified as Mary while narrating how the pastor was killed said, “The pastor went to his farm that ugly day. So, his wife was waiting for him to return back home but she didn’t see her husband. When night fell, the wife raised the alarm in which the church members, including residents of the community went to his farm to search for him.

“It was then they discovered that the pastor had been kidnapped. The abductors got in touch with the family demanding N20m. Since the church and the family could not raise such amount of money, they pleaded with the kidnappers and they reduced the ransom to N1m.

“The kidnappers insisted that when they would be bringing the money, the church should come along with recharge cards, chicken, and many alcoholic drinks for their consumption.

Two of the church members were sent to deliver the money and the items requested by the kidnappers.

“When they got to the kidnappers’ den, they saw our pastor alive. They now instructed our pastor and the two other church members who brought the money to start going home.

Unfortunately, they later called the pastor to come back and he did as instructed because he knew that there was no way he could run from their place since his abductors were holding sophisticated weapons.

“When he was coming back to them, they immediately shot at him and he died on the spot. They later brought his lifeless body back to Obajana.”

The incident has thrown the entire church and the community into mourning.

It was further learnt that the news of the pastor’s murder was first broken on a social media platform of the church on Wednesday morning.

The short message read, “It is with a heavy heart but in total submission to the will of God, I write to inform you that the abductors of our brother, Pastor Musa David, have killed him after collecting a ransom of N1m last night. Let our prayers be with the family, the church, and the DCC in this trying moment.”

The late David was formerly in charge of the ECWA Bishara, Ajaokuta. His gruesome murder has heightened panic among his congregation and the state in general.

Meanwhile, the Kogi State Police Command confirmed the incident on Thursday afternoon. The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP William Ovye Aya, said that the command had began an investigation into the incident, adding that those behind the killing would be arrested and prosecuted.