By; PATRICK TITUS, Uyo
Moody atmosphere has engulfed the family and members of the Solid Rock Kingdom Church in Akwa Ibom State following the kidnap of Founder and President of the church, Apostle John Okoriko by unknown gunmen.
Okoriko was abducted on Wednesday in the church premises at Ibekwe Akpan Nya in Mkpat Enin local government area of the state
An eyewitness told our correspondent that the gunmen invaded the residence of the pastor located in the church premises, scaling the fence and forced their way into his sitting room.
Continuing, he said the gunmen started shooting sporadically, scaring others while they whisked him away.
According to the eyewitness who pleaded anonymity, Apostle Okoriko was dragged into the nearby bushes where his abductors escaped with him to an unknown destination.
Narrating the incident amidst tears, he said the police was contacted immediately and some youth joined police to comb the bushes in search of the man of God but couldn’t find neither the victim, nor his abductors.
He explained that the incident which occurred at about 5pm on Tuesday, has thrown the church and entire Ibekwe Community into panic as the whereabout of the pastor is unknown .
It was gathered that almost all the branches of the church held prayer session for the man of God to regain his freedom
It would be recalled that recently, kidnappers laid siege on Ekparakwa in Oruk Anam Local Government Area and neighbouring villages in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area, where no fewer than 15 persons were abducted and released after paying ransom to the hoodlums.
New Nigerian Newspapers in Uyo gathered that others who could not afford the ransom were gruesomely murdered as decomposing bodies were found on farmlands within Ekparakwa and Mkpat Enin axis.
A medical doctor was also kidnapped while operating on a patient in the theatre at Healthcare centre Ikot Ekpaw, in the community last month and regained freedom after undisclosed ransom was paid .
Meanwhile, AKwa State Police Command was yet to comment on the incident as at time of filing the report.
Calls to mobile phone of SP Odiko MacDon, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) were not connecting when filing this report.
