Church members narrate how dia pastor allegedly swindle dem to pay ransom for im arangee kidnap

Police for Jos, Plateau State, North Central Nigeria dey investigate one pastor wey alledgedly arrange im own kidnapping to collect money from members of di church as ransom.

Di Plateau State Police Command na im uncover di alleged criminal act of Pastor Albarka Bitrus Sukuya of Jenta Apata, Jos, e be associate pastor and vicar for di church.

Police tok-tok pesin for Plateau State, DSP Alfred Alabo tok for statement say di pastor arrange im kidnapping many times wit im gang to receive ransom from sympathizing members of im congregation.

"Following im plenti kidnaps of 14/11/2022 and 30/11/2022 wia sympathisers pay di sum of Four Hundred Thousand Naira (N400,000) and Two Hundred Thousand Naira (N200,000) as ransom for im release, di incidents trigger suspicion."

'E don dey make me fear to believe any minister of God again'

Pastor Albarka bin dey pastor di Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) Plateau State District.

Some members of im church say dem dey very disappointed wit wetin dia pastor allegedly do and e still dey pain dem till now.

On of di members of di church tell BBC Pidgin for interview say im feel very sad to di extent wey im no go fit believe anybody wey present imsef as ‘Minister of God’ again.

 “I feel very bad sake of say dis kain tin fit affect di way pesin dey waka wit God spiritually like before, becos na embarrassment, as a man of God you be di preacher and you do dis kain tin, e don dey make me fear to believe pipo wey say dem be ministers.

I go advice make dem search di background of anybody wey wan present imsef as a minister, to know wia you start, how you start, how you be, wetin you do before, dis tin dey pain me well-well." E tok.

According to di church member, for di first kidnapping na 400 thousand naira ransom church members pay, di second one na 200 thousand naira and dem say dem discover say dem dey pay di money directly to Pastor Albarka son account.

"Wen dis news comeout everybody for church feel sad, church members dey vex well-well, nobody dey happy." im tok

Anoda woman for di church tell BBC Pidgin how she dey feel about di pastor and oda ‘Men of God’ now.

 “As I dey tok now, I neva still get myself, becos di news still dey shock me, na big disappointment, e still dey shock me well-well.

I trust dat pastor well-well, I no believe say im fit do dat kain tin, but e don teach me lesson say as believer, make we stand gidigba, and anybody wey dey do bad tin make di pesin repent.

Dis tin wey di pastor do na big disappointment to me as a pesin, di church and Christian body." She tok

'Di cars im burn and attempted suicide na to divert attention from di main issue'

Tori be say Pastor Albarka Bitrus Sukuya no only arrange im kidnap, im also allegedly burn di cars of im boss wey be di senior pastor of di church.

According to police statement, di pastor burn two vehicles, one Mercedez Benz, one Toyota car and Bicycle on 04 January, 2023, wey belong to im colleagues.

Dem bin park dem for ECWA Bishara 3 Jenta Apata premises. Di pastor confess say im burn di cars becos one of im colleagues allegedly hate am." Police tok.

One member of di church tell BBC Pidgin say Pastor Albarka Bitrus Sukuya no just burn di cars and bicycle of di senior pastor, but im allegedly do am to divert attention from di main kidnapping issue.

"Im burn di cars of im senior pastor just to divert attention from di kidnapping, we thank God say di fire from di cars no enta di church building or di neighbourhood, God help, pipo come out come quench di fire.

Di day wey im confess for church, members just dey cry dey wail, till now, some of us still dey cry sake of di trust wey we trust di pastor and we dey very disappointed, but we thank God, na God do dis one becos pipo dey pray, e show say God dey ansa di prayer of Christians becos many pipo kneel down, fast and pray make di kidnappers release am, na why God reveal dis secret." E tok.

'We dey in support of di police' - ECWA

Local Church Overseer, Rev Bitrus Agang Yaro tell BBC Pidgin say dem dey in total support wit di police sake of say wetin di Vicar, Pastor Albarka Bitrus Sukuya wey dey work directly under am do no good at all.

Im explain say afta dem come back from police station wit di suspect, im set di cars on fire, im still try to kill imsef so dat evritin go end at once.

"Afta im burn im senior pastor car, wetin enta im mind na to go inside to kill imsef and end it all, im bin wan kill imsef until dem stop am, but no be di best solution be dat.

As a church, we feel say e dey beta make im dey for police custody becos im dey safer for dia instead of am to try to harm imsef for here."

Rev Bitrus Agang say dem go forgive am sake of say evribody na sinner before God but na di leadership of di church go decide weda im go still be pastor or not afta everitin.

"Di leadership of di church go decide weda im go still be pastor again or not, becos unacceptable conducts dey wey go against di ECWA constitution and we must follow di constitution strictly. I no go fit tok categorically if dem go accept am back as pastor or not na di leadership of di church go decide." E tok.

Im tell BBC Pidgin say di church dey concerned about di wellbeing of di 'criminal' pastor as im advice oda pastor of ministers to always share dia problems wit pesin wey dem fit tok to or dia superiors to find proper solution instead of to commit crime.

"Pastor Bitrus na just eight years in service and na me be im supervisor. Why im no report to me if im dey feel anyhow or get any financial issues? But im do dis tin quietly and no body suspect anytin.

I dey advice Christians say if dem get any issues for dia lives make dem look for pesin dem fit trust and tok to, di world tok say a problem shared dey half solved already. Like say im tok to anybody for di leadership we for find how to handle im problem dan to do mago-mago." 

Tori be say pastor Albarka Bitrus Sukuya dey live for inside di church premises and im wife bin dey pregnant wen di mata happun.

Dem also allege say na inside im son account dem bin dey pay di ransom money.

Arrangee kidnapping for Nigeria

Dis no be di first time tori of arrangee kidnapping to collect ransom go hit di healines for Nigeria.

Some tori allege say pipo dey go as far as to kidnap dia mama or papa or closed friends and family members too.

And police too don tok say make everybodi shine dia eyes and report anytin wey dem feel say dey suspicious around dem.

Police also tok say no be di first time dem dey deal wit dis kain mata dem. Dis kain case happun for 2019 wen Police for Jos, capital of Plateau north of Nigeria investigate one 15-year-old boy wey arrange im own kidnap, come demand ransom from im papa.

Tori be say di boy and four of im friends bin demand for 500,000 naira ($1,365, £1,126) ransom, wey dem plan to use for school graduation party.

For July 2021, Niger state police command bin arrest one man, Mohammed Mohammed, and im wife, Sadiya, for alleged conspiracy and self-kidnapping.

Tok-tok pesin for di Command Wasiu Abiodun bin say dem arrest di couple for Limawa area of Minna metropolis.

Police statement say dem report Sadiya kidnap on July 15, for Old Airport Road for Minna afta she close from work but di kidnap na arrangee. “One unknown caller contact her papa and ask for five million naira, but na one million naira dem pay for her release” police tok.