The police have cautioned worshippers against publicly sharing personal achievements during church testimonies, following the foiling of a kidnap plot against a female cleric in Abuja.
The warning came after the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Nigeria Police Force arrested four church members over an alleged plot to kidnap Prophetess Elizabeth.
Police said she was targeted after sharing a testimony about her personal achievements and business success.
Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the IRT, Adamu Muazu, issued the advice on Thursday while parading the suspects. He said the planned attack was to take place after an evening service.
Muazu urged church leaders, especially those operating in isolated or outskirt locations, to strengthen security arrangements and prioritise the safety of members attending evening services.
He also cautioned worshippers not to assume that everyone in a congregation has good intentions.
“You can’t go to a church located on outskirts and you go to evening prayers and closing in the evening, coming down to your home after making testimony of what you have achieved in life, you know?” he said.
He added: “It doesn’t conform with common sense and rationality in the midst of a gathering of people watching you, thinking that they are all men of God. No, everybody has his own motive of going to the church.”
Muazu advised church leaders to assess security risks around their premises and guide members on necessary precautions, particularly when services end late at night.
He stressed the need for proper observation of routes in and out of churches holding evening programmes.
The officer expressed concern that some of the suspects were closely connected to the intended victim and the church leadership.
“Surprisingly, this happened to be her driver, who worked with her. And the second suspect is a bodyguard to the head church pastor. They are all members of the same church,” he said.
According to investigators, one suspect, David Obaje, had worked as Elizabeth’s driver for about three months and been a church member for roughly four years.
Another, David Dennis, had belonged to the church for about six years and served as a bodyguard to the senior pastor.Police said the suspects allegedly used a WhatsApp group to coordinate the plan and intended to block or deliberately hit her vehicle after an evening service on October 1, creating the appearance of an accident before overpowering and abducting her.
A vehicle, a locally fabricated firearm and a security uniform allegedly linked to the plot were recovered.
The police warning highlighted concerns that information shared during religious gatherings could be exploited by people with criminal intentions, particularly when worshippers travel home after evening services.
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