news
Wife exposes pastor Richard, who staged own kidnap to extort brother
…Suspect: I did it because I was in debt
According to a police source, on June 16, one Mr. Prosper, Onyekachukwu’s wealthy younger brother, reported to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Usman Alkali Baba that his elder brother named Richard (Onyekachukwu) had been kidnapped and a line of conversation had been opened with his abductors who were asking for a ransom.
The source further disclosed that the IGP immediately directed the Commander of the FIB Intelligence Response Team (FIB-IRT), Abba Kyari, a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) to investigate the matter, ensure the safe return of Onyekachukwu and fish out the culprits.
The IRT operatives swung into action by first visiting the house of the victim where they met his wife but were shocked that she looked unperturbed. And when the operatives introduced themselves as police officers investigating a case of armed robbery against her husband, she shouted that her husband was not an armed robber but only travelled to Taraba State on a business trip.
She told the police officers that although members of her husband’s family thought that he had been in captivity for three weeks, she last saw him about a week earlier.
On the basis of her claims, she was arrested and taken to the police station for interrogation, following which she opened up that it was a case of self-kidnap and the whole idea was from her husband.
She said her husband had financial challenges and was desperately looking for a way to repay the loans he had collected. She said her husband’s plan was to collect the ransom money and pay up his debt.
Following a clue from Mary that her husband was due to visit the house on June 18, the police laid an ambush and picked him up on the said date.
In his confession, Onyekachukwu, who described himself as a pastor and a contractor from Idemili South LGA, said he decided to organise his own kidnap in order to generate money with which he could solve a pressing financial problem.
He said: “I had a big church, Resurrection Power Church, but its roof was blown away by storm. I then took some loans to assist the businesses with which I was supporting the ministry and it was about N600,000.
Unfortunately, in the process, I had financial challenges and paying the loan became difficult. I made some losses in my poultry business and COVID-19 did not help matters. The banks were after me and I didn’t know what to do.
“I was thinking of how to get money from my younger brother, Prosper. He is a civil servant and also rich but stingy. I was thinking of how to get money from him to offset the bills before they would take me to court.
“It wasn’t easy; that was why the thoughts came to me. I don’t know why I decided to use that strategy.
“I called my friend Enoch and shared my thoughts with him. Enoch is also a pastor. Initially, he did not accept, but after sometime, he agreed. I told him that even it was a million or N500,000, I would be satisfied.
“Sometime in May, I travelled home to drop the corpse of my deceased mother at the mortuary. After that, I travelled to Nkpor, close to my village, to see if I could get some contracts.
“I was supposed to come back after a week. I called my wife and brothers about my mission at the village. There was three days delay and my wife was panicking because my phones were off. She called my brothers that I am missing.
“When I came back, I sneaked into the compound, dropped my bag and went to the mountain to pray. I called Enoch that we had an opportunity. He then called and told them that I had been kidnapped.
“I used to come back home, but most times I would sleep in my friend’s place. I told my wife after a week. She started suspecting my movements and I told her the things on the ground and that I didn’t know what to do. I needed to get money from Prosper before the bank people would come to embarrass us.
“I am the second son of my parents, and as an elder, I am expected to play a major role in my mother’s burial. We had a meeting and fixed a date and everyone was running around to see how to raise money to contribute.”
On why he requested that his brother, Prosper, must bring the ransom personally, Richard said: “I have no particular reason to request that my brother, Prosper, should bring the money. I never even thought of that as an issue. This is something I thought would just end within the family. My plan was to inform him after some time.
“On the ransom, I demanded N10 million and they bargained to N5 million, and finally, they brought N2 million. We were still waiting to hear from him when police arrested me at home.
“I am not happy. It is a regrettable action. I took it as a family issue I did not know it would get to this extent. I simply tell him that the reason is that if I had asked him for money to settle my debt, he would not do it. I am close to my brother, so I expected that he would bring the money to save my life.”
Mary, in her own statement, who described herself as a petty trader, said her husband told her that he would be embarking on a business trip on May 20.
“After some days, we could not reach him again. He did not come back the day he said he would return. I called his brothers and explained to them and they said I should relax, that he would come. It took about three days before someone called that my husband had been kidnapped and they were demanding N10 million.
“After a week, he came back and I was happy that he had been released, but he told me to shut up, that he would explain. He then asked me if I had plans to pay up our debts.
“He said since everyone believed that he had been kidnapped, I should not say anything till money was paid. He told me that I had started demonstrating my stubbornness when a woman was supposed to be submissive to her husband no matter the case.
“I was both confused and scared. The night they came to arrest me, I called the uncle and raised the alarm. The next day, they arrested me.
I met him as a pastor and I was taught to be submissive. I was just being submissive. It is not about love but obeying the word of God. I don’t have any word to justify myself. I am finding it difficult to forgive myself.
In his own confession, Enoch, a native of Awgu, Enugu State, said: “I am the founder of Christ Resurrection Power, Gospel Church of All Nations. I have no other job except evangelism. I started the church two years before the COVID-19 shutdown.
“My members dispersed and I was not able to raise money to pay rent so I shut down the church. Reverend Richard (Onyekachukwu) is my neighbour and brother in the Lord. He came to me and told me about his money challenge.
“He is owing some microfinance banks, the landlord was at his neck and he needed to contribute money for his mother’s burial. He does not have money to contribute as an elder brother.
“He said that he needed my assistance. I asked in what area and he said that he wanted to have himself kidnapped. He did not have anywhere to get the money from. His brothers do not like to give him money. He wanted to use this pattern to get money from his brother so I agreed to help him.
“He wrote a script and gave it to me, which I acted properly, including pretending to beat him up. We normally went close to the mountain and called them from there.
“We didn’t have any sharing formula until the money would come. I wanted to use it to go down to the east for evangelism.
“To survive, I used to go for outreach programmes and people will sow seeds and give offerings.
I knew that it was wrong when we got to the police station. The Bible says that deceit is a sin. I don’t know which devil entered my mind.
“I got a calling as far back as 2002 and I served under a church till 2015 when I was officially released. We opened an outreach but the church was officially opened in 2003.
President Bola Tinubu has bestowed the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger, on the Super Falcons and the entire technical crew.
He also allocated three-bedroom apartments in Abuja to each of the players and the technical crew at the Renewed Hope Estate.
The President also directed the cash award of the naira equivalent of $100,000 each of the 24 players and $50,000 to each of the 11-man technical crew.
This came during a reception in honour of the players and the coaching crew at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He said, “I hereby conferred on the players, the 11 man technical team with national honours of the Officer of the Order of the Niger.
“Additionally, I have I directed the allocation of three bedroom apartments in the Renewed Hope Housing Scheme.
“Then there is the cash award of the naira equivalent of $100,000 US dollars each 24 players and the naira equivalent of $50,000 to the 11-man technical crew.”
The President also said he didn’t want to watch the WAFCON final because he didn’t want to have high blood pressure.
Earlier, the President and the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, received the Super Falcons at the Presidential Villa on Monday, following their record victory at the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco on Saturday.
The coaster buses conveying the players and coaching crew arrived at the forecourt of the Aso Rock shortly before 04:36 p.m. local time.
The Super Falcons, 10-time African champions after their 3-2 comeback over the Atlas Lionesses Morocco, were received by the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, upon their arrival.
In a post-match video call on Saturday night, President Tinubu praised captain and tournament MVP Rasheedat Ajibade.
He also praised Nigeria’s rally from a 2-0 half-time deficit to claim the WAFCON title.
Over the past decade, the Super Falcons have won four Women’s Africa Cup of Nations titles in 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2024, bringing their total to 10
The Super Falcons emerged champions of the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) after pulling off a stunning second-half comeback to defeat hosts Morocco in a pulsating final.
The Moroccans had taken a 2-0 lead in the first half, capitalizing on early momentum and a roaring home crowd at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
But the Nigerians, showing the grit and pedigree that has made them the most successful team in the tournament’s history, roared back after the break.
WAFCON final: Oramah FC chairman pledges ₦500,000 per goal to Super Falcons
First Lady rallies Super Falcons to victory in WAFCON final
A spirited second-half display saw the Super Falcons flip the script in dramatic fashion, scoring twice to silence the home fans and reclaim the continental crown.
With this victory, Nigeria completes the 10th WAFCON title
President Tinubu audience with Chairmen of Power Generation Companies in Nigeria held at the Presidential Villa Abuja yesterday
•From left: Managing Director, Sahara Group, Kola Adesina; Chairman, Heirs Holdings, Tony Elumelu; Chairman Association of Power Generation Companies, Col. Sani Bello (rtd); President Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; and president Tinubu audience with Chairmen of Power Generation Companies in Nigeria held at the Presidential Villa Abuja yesterday
Appeals for patience from GENCOs
Okays bond programme, promises transparency in verification process
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assured power generation companies (GENCOs) of his administration’s commitment to resolving the over ₦4 trillion in longstanding debts owed to them, pledging transparency and fairness in verifying the claims while appealing for patience.
The President gave this assurance during a high-level meeting with members of the Association of Power Generation Companies, led by retired Colonel Sani Bello, at the Presidential Villa yesterday.
According to a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, the President acknowledged the gravity of the sector’s liquidity crisis and promised that the federal government would not shirk from its inherited obligations.
“I accept the assets and liabilities of my predecessors, and there is no question about that. But that acceptance must be on credible grounds. I need to wear the audit cap of verifiability, authenticity, and the fact that this inheritance is not a mere deodorant but a support structure for critical economic and industrial promotion,” President Tinubu said.
The President appealed to the GENCOs and their financial backers to give the government time to complete verification and validation of the debts, stating, “we are here. So market it to your other colleagues. Give us time to do verification and validation of the numbers.”
Reaffirming his commitment to a market-led electricity sector, Tinubu emphasised that historical challenges, long left unresolved, are now receiving active attention.
“This is a longstanding issue that is now being dealt with,” he said, referencing the government’s broader reform drive that includes eliminating fuel subsidies and promoting Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) alternatives.
The President also called for restraint from the financial sector regarding asset foreclosures against the GENCOs.
“To our friends in the banking sector, I ask that we avoid foreclosures. Sharpen your pencils, but keep an eraser handy. Let’s persevere together,” he urged.
In her briefing, the Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Mrs. Olu Verheijen, disclosed that a ₦4 trillion bond programme had received anticipatory approval from the President to tackle the liquidity shortfall in the sector.
However, she cautioned that only verified and legitimate debts would be accommodated.
Read Also: Education under Renewed Hope Agenda undergoing transformation – Shettima
“As of April 2025, the total exposure that we are carrying at the moment is ₦4 trillion. This is subject to downward revision pending final validation. Only amounts that the federal government validly owes are the things that will make it into the issuance by the DMO”, Verheijen said.
She attributed the massive debt pile-up to a combination of unfunded tariff shortfalls and market deficiencies that have built up since 2015.
Of the ₦4 trillion claimed by 27 GENCOs, the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company (NBET) has validated ₦1.8 trillion so far.
Highlighting the administration’s strides in power sector reform, Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, lauded the President for his hands-on approach and leadership.
“Your presence at this meeting is a clear testament to your unwavering commitment to the sustainability, stability, and long-term development of Nigeria’s power sector,” Adelabu said.
He noted that since President Tinubu took office, the administration has signed into law the Electricity Act, 2023—decentralising the power sector—and launched Nigeria’s first Integrated National Electricity Policy in 24 years.
Adelabu said reforms have boosted investor confidence, attracted over $2 billion in new private capital, and improved annual revenue collection by 70 percent—from ₦1 trillion in 2023 to ₦1.7 trillion in 2024—thereby reducing government subsidy obligations by over ₦700 billion.
On capacity expansion, he reported that installed generation capacity has grown from 13,000 MW to 14,000 MW, with a record 5,801 MW peak generation and a maximum daily energy delivery of 120,370 MWh recorded on March 4, 2025.
No grid collapse has occurred in 2025, he added.
He further disclosed progress in narrowing Nigeria’s metering gap through the ₦700 billion Presidential Metering Initiative and the World Bank-backed DISREP, which has so far delivered 300,000 of the 3.45 million smart meters procured.
Despite the reforms, Adelabu warned that the liquidity crisis remains a major threat, saying “Mr. President, given the grave implications of this debt overhang, including the risk of a nationwide shutdown of generation assets, I humbly seek your immediate support for defraying these obligations, even if partially, over a defined period.”
In their separate interventions, leading business figures Tony Elumelu and Kola Adesina echoed calls for urgent relief, citing the dire financial state of GENCOs and the need to unlock gas supply to sustain operations.
“Mr. President, we’ve come to you as a last hope. The generating companies are heavily indebted to banks, and foreclosure threats are real, not because we’re not doing our jobs, but because the system owes us trillions,” Elumelu said.
He commended President Tinubu for restoring stability in oil production and banking, saying, “before you took office in 2023, we lost 97% of our daily oil production. Today, we are retaining 98%. That’s transformation.”
On the energy crisis, Elumelu said “we don’t need power to complete your transformation—we need power to enable it. Power is critical to unlocking Nigeria’s full potential.”
Adesina, for his part, stressed that “liquidity is the oxygen of our business,” warning that generation output could stall without urgent intervention.
He proposed leveraging Nigeria LNG to unlock 800 million cubic feet of gas to boost supply to underperforming power plants, especially those in the Afam axis.
The meeting was attended by key cabinet members and officials, including the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Mr. Wale Edun; Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris; as well as regulatory authorities and major power sector stakeholders.
-
news5 years agoUPDATE: #ENDSARS: CCTV footage of Lekki shootings intact – Says Sanwo – Olu
-
lifestyle5 years agoFormer Miss World: Mixed reactions trail Agbani Darego’s looks
-
news2 years agoEnvironmental Pollutions : OGONI COMMUNITY CRIES OUT, THREATENS TO SHUT DOWN FIRSTBANK,SHELL OIL COMPANY OPERATIONS FOR NOT PAYING COURT AWARD
-
health4 years agoChairman Agege LG, Ganiyu Egunjobi Receives Covid-19 Vaccines
-
lifestyle4 years agoObateru: Celebrating a Quintessential PR Man at 60
-
health5 years agoUPDATE : Nigeria Records 790 new cases of COVID-19
-
politics3 months agoBreaking : Oborevwori , Okowa others dumps PDP, defects to APC
-
news2 months agoBREAKING: Tinubu swears in new NNPCL Board