Police in Ondo State on Sunday explained that 77 people that were released from the captivity at The Whole Bible Believers Church a.k.a Ondo Church are being harboured to make them rapturable in September.
Seventy seven (77) members ; Twenty Six (26) children, Eight (8) teenagers and Forty Three (43) adult members were rescued from the Church while the two pastors are in police custody.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Funmilayo Odunlami, said all the victims had been released to their parents after their parade at the state police headquarters, Akure, on Saturday.
According to the police, preliminary investigation revealed that one Pastor Josiah Peter Asumosa,the Assistant Pastor of the Church told members that Rapture will take place in April but later said it has been changed to September, 2022 and told young members to obey only their parents in the Lord
“And also discouraged the young ones from going to school as rapture was near.”
The statement added that A father whose child was among the rescued, said he was denied access to his child and anyone who tried gaining entrance into the church was always attacked by the members.
Policemen were sent to the Church to invite the Pastor, the members of the church on sighting the police became violent and attacked them, the policemen called for reinforcement and this led to the arrest of the pastors and other members that assaulted the police
The pastor of the church, Anifowose, has denied the allegation of hypnotising or abducting the victims.
He said they only preached the words of God to members of the church but not for the children to disobey or abandon their parents.
“We did not tell them to abandon their homes; they came on their own personal volition and they were accepted. It’s a lie that we said that Jesus is coming in September. Nobody knows when he is coming,” he said
