Olusegun Ariyo
Unidentified gunmen have abducted the pastor of the Christian Evangelical Fellowship of Nigeria, CEFN, Friday Adehi, and another member of the church, Gabriel Ezekiel, in the Ofun LGA of Kogi State.
The duo, who were kidnapped shortly after church service on Sunday, were reportedly travelling on a motorcycle when they ran into the kidnappers along Ajegwu-Ojodu Road in the same local government area of the state.
The abductees were said to have attended a naming ceremony of another member of the church after their Sunday service and were returning to their residence in Itobe when they were abducted at gunpoint.
“The incident happened between 3 and 4 p.m. on 24th August 2025 (Sunday) when both members of the church were returning from Ojodu to Itobe. The pastor was riding on his bike with another man accompanying him.
“Then the kidnappers, who were lying in ambush, suddenly burst onto the road when they sighted the motorcyclist approaching. The kidnappers stopped them at gunpoint and directed them into the bush,” an eyewitness told newsmen.
However, the CEFN Church and other Christian faithful have declared prayers and fasting for God’s intervention in the safety and freedom of the church members.
Also, the apex Igala socio-cultural organisations, ICDA, and Ukomu Igala have called on the Kogi State government to prioritise the deployment of drone technology to effectively track kidnappers and bandits using the forests as their hideouts to negotiate ransom.
The group had stated that the strategy would enable the joint task force to achieve results in its war against criminals in the forests.
