Primebaze.com.ng The wife of the Bishop of the
Lagos Central Diocese of the
African Church, Mrs. Dorcas
Adebanjo, has been hospitalised
after she was released by her
captors on Tuesday.
We gathered from a reliable
source close to the church
leadership that N2m was paid by
the church before she regained
her freedom.
The source could not, however,
tell if she was assaulted or
manhandled, saying the church
hierarchy had maintained seal
lips on her condition.
Dorcas’ release came exactly a
week after her husband, Rt. Rev.
Gabriel Adebanjo, regained his
freedom from the captors.
Our correspondent had reported
that the Adebanjos had travelled
to Delta State on December 5 to
attend an adult harvest
programme, which was
supposed to hold the following
day, but never made it to their
destination.
It was reported that they had got
to Effurun Junction and met a fire
incident which made them to
change direction.
They were said to have been
kidnapped on the new route by
some gunmen, who shot their
driver in the hand and leg.
The kidnappers had transferred
the couple from their car to
another vehicle which they
brought for the operation.
It was also reported that the
gang initially demanded N100m,
but later reduced the ransom to
N50m, N20m and later to N10m.
We reported that after the
church raised N2m, the bishop
was released, but his wife was
detained by the kidnappers.
A source told us that Dorcas was
released Tuesday night after the
church paid another N2m,
adding that she had been
admitted to an undisclosed clinic
in Warri.
He said, “She was released
yesterday’s night (Tuesday) after
the church paid N2m. She is
receiving treatment at an
undisclosed clinic in Warri in
order to get over the harrowing
experience she underwent for
almost three weeks in the
captor’s den.
“The church has not allowed
anybody to see her, and they are
not saying anything about her
condition. But I learnt that she
could not talk, and was still in
shock.
“The church is not happy that it
took so long before they could
effect the release of the couple.
“The church members have
expressed gratitude to God that
she came back alive to witness
the Yuletide.”
Our correspondent was told that
the couple would return to Lagos
after they had recuperated.
“We expect them to return after
they must have fully recovered,
because they have emaciated
terribly,” he added.
However, the diocesan Publicity
Secretary, Chief Femi Adetona,
could not be reached to
comment on the matter.
It was learnt that the church was
embarrassed by police’s
insistence that they were not
carried along in the matter.
The state Police Public Relations
Officer, Celestina Kalu, said she
was not aware of the release,
adding that the church had not
been cooperating with the
police.
“I am not aware of the release
and there is no way we can
apprehend the kidnappers since
the church did not give us the
phone number or any link with
which to arrest them,” she said.