We prefer to remain in custody until our pastor, assistant pastor are released — Ondo church rescued victims tell Police

By Akintunde Jacobs, Akure

Some of the victims rescued by Ondo State Police Command from an underground Church at Valentino Area of Ondo town in Ondo West Local Government Area caused a dramatic scene on Monday as they refused to leave the Command Headquarters.

Recall that no fewer than 77 people, comprising 54 adults and 23 children, were allegedly hypnotised, abducted and kept in the underground cell in of the church known as Whole Bible Believer Church by the pastor of the Church, David Anifowose and his 45-year-old assistant, Josiah Peter.

It was learnt that the assistant pastor, Josiah Peter, claimed rapture was going to take place by September, hence he encouraged the church members to stay behind in the church.

But while briefing journalists on Monday on the latest development over the incident, the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Funmilayo Odunlami said despite different appeals, the victims vowed to remain in the police custody until their pastor and his assistant are released.

Odunlami said, “Some of the parents said if not for what happened, they were not aware that their children have left school while some said they were aware that their children were in church but didn’t know the church.

“Despite all our thoughts, some of this victims refused to go home, saying they are ready to remain in the police custody until their pastor and his assistant are released.

“We are trying to work out modalities on what to do to them to get them rehabilitated. We have over 10 people that refused to go home.”

The PPRO, however, said the pastor, Anifowose and his 45-year-old assistant, Josiah Peter would soon be charged to court immediately after the completion of their investigation over the incident.

In his reaction to the incident, Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu said the government is working out modalities to rehabilitate those that need rehabilitation and might go legally by taking custody of the children.

Akeredolu, who also spoke at the police headquarters through the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Adebunmi Osadaun said, “We just interviewed some of the children who are between aged 11 to 17 years old. The way they spoke seems they have been hypnotised. They speak with so much confidence that God will soon come (rapture) and they are on a 7-day camp, that they have not eaten for seven days and they still want to go on fasting.

“What baffles me as a mother is that these children are already hardened from the interview we conducted with them. They are indoctrinated. Some of the parents of the children even told us that they left the church when they started seeing some strange things. We also want to know if the Pastor partially believe there should be know education, then was his own children not educated and we were made to know that he has two children who are educated and graduated and now equally members of the church.

“The parents also alleged that the children refused to take immunisation and the children confirmed that. They said it’s evil to take immunisation.

“We also want to have a database of the children through family tracing from the Ministry so that we can get how these children were hypnotised and indoctrinated. And if they need rehabilitation, then we would have to go legally by taking custody of the children.

“The way some of the children are talking, some of them should even be taken to the rehabilitation homes. They are living in different world entirely. They look so wired.”