Ogun State owned security outfit, “So-Safe Corps”, yesterday, admitted killing a pastor of the Latter Rain Revival Christian Church, Adeniyi Adisa, by mistake during a shootout with suspected kidnappers.
The pastor was allegedly mistaken for a kidnapper when seven members of a church were abducted in Obafemi Owode Local Council of Ogun State.
The Commander of So-Safe Corps, Soji Ganzallo, who confirmed the unfortunate incident, said Pastor Adisa was killed in error.
According to him, some gunmen reportedly stormed the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) at Abule-Ori in Obafemi Owode Council, where they killed a pastor and abducted seven worshippers.
Ganzallo said: “On July 1, the agency on receipt of a distress call from Abule-Ori community in Obafemi Owode, moved in to rescue the victims, and were able to rescue seven church members earlier kidnapped in a church, while trailing the kidnappers, the unintended happened in a cross fire.
“It was really an unfortunate situation, a very sad one that none of us was happy about. After the incident, So-Safe issued a statement to the public that seven kidnapped church members were rescued while one of the kidnappers was gunned down with others escaping with bullet wounds.”
He noted that investigation later revealed that the suspect killed was not a kidnapper but Pastor Adeniyi Adisa of Oke Oluokun, Ibadan, Oyo State, who had earlier been abducted.
He was probably brought along to be freed after collecting the ransom before going for their next operation but there was a delay that led to the unfortunate incident.
The Commander said the police have also investigated this case and discovered that Pastor Adeniyi Adisa was a kidnap victim too and he was never a kidnapper.
“This retraction is to set the record straight and assuage the feelings of the family that their son, Pastor Adeniyi Adisa was never a kidnapper.”
“So-Safe Corps is also working closely with the Commissioner of Police, Alamutu Abiodun, to compensate the children of the deceased within the first week of November,” he added.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Mr. Muiz Akande, said it was a painful loss, but the family has accepted their fate as the family has found out that it was operational error and not intentional
“We have had engagement with the police and officers of the So Safe Corps culminating into today and I am glad that my brother’s name has been cleared of being a kidnapper and for the compensation for the children, I know the officers are men of integrity and they will certainly do as promised, he added.
The Guardian gathered that the slain Pastor was the General Manager of VGC Water, Lekki, Lagos until he was kidnapped on June 24 while returning from a visit to a friend in the Yotomi area, Owode Egba in Obafemi-Owode Local Council of Ogun State.
It was revealed that due to delay in payment of ransom, the abductors of the Chartered Accountant took him to a bush close to a church they were going to attack.
His abductors were said to have abandoned him and went to attack the church, where they killed the pastor during a mid-year night vigil before police officers and So-Safe Corps arrived at the scene.
Recall the So-Safe Corps in a release after the incident allegedly, labelled the deceased as one of the kidnappers gunned down during the rescue operation.
The Agency later in defence, alluded to the fact that the operation was carried out at midnight and it was difficult to identify the victim at that time.
