In Nigeria, police rescued 77 people, including children and young people, in a raid. They had been locked up for several months in a church basement in the southwestern state of Ondo. A police spokesman said many of them were told they would expect the “return of Jesus Christ” in April, but later postponed it until September.
The Christian sect is said to have kept some of their followers in church for a year. Some believers voluntarily stayed and therefore even divorced their husbands, the BBC reported. Others were held against their will and their concerned relatives were forcibly evicted.
The police operation on Friday came after a mother complained that her children were missing. The woman assumed they were at church. Authorities are investigating whether the detention of people was a mass kidnapping after the raid on the Whole Bible Believers Church in Ondo Town in the southwest of the country.
Pastor and deputy were arrested
The pastor, David Anifowoshe, and his deputy have been arrested and are under investigation. The victims who were freed during the operation have been handed over to the authorities. Nigeria is a deeply religious country – clerics continue to detain people there.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
