I was the target of kidnapping plot – Anglican Bishop

The Bishop of Jos, Anglican Diocese, Ephraim Gongden, says he was the target of an alleged kidnapping plot that affected his wife and that of his predecessor, Benjamin Kwashi.

Mr Gongden stated this in an interview with Advent Cable Network Nigeria (ACNN), on Saturday in Jos.

He said a naval serviceman alerted him about the planned abduction and helped security agencies to foil it.

The police had earlier announced the arrest of suspects over an alleged plan to abduct Esther Gongden and Gloria Kwashi, the wives of the two clerics.

According to Mr Gongden, the incident began on the evening of 6 August when a naval serviceman arrived at the Bishop’s Court in Jos and requested to see him.

The bishop said the serviceman told him that he had been approached to provide a house where Mrs Gongden could be kept after her abduction.

The information, Mr Gongden said, prompted him to alert the police.

At the police station, the serviceman allegedly played a recording of a conversation detailing aspects of the proposed operation, including information about the bishop’s residence, vehicles and mobile phones, as well as how the family could allegedly be overpowered.

Mr Gongden said the police subsequently used the serviceman to advance their investigation, leading to the arrest of three suspects.

One of the suspects was identified as Hassan Mijah, a former worker of the Anglican Diocese of Jos.

Two military personnel were also arrested in connection with the alleged plot.

The bishop said a telephone call allegedly made by Mr Mijah while the naval serviceman was giving his statement to senior police officers further strengthened suspicions about his involvement.

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He said Mr Mijah later told him that he, rather than his wife, was the ultimate target of the alleged conspiracy.

The bishop said he and his wife visited Mr Mijah in custody on 8 August, two days after the alleged plot was uncovered.

According to him, Mr Mijah asked for forgiveness.

“Our forgiveness does not mean that the case is ours to take and to handle. The law will take its course,” he said.

The Plateau State Commissioner of Police, Ayodeji Faniyan, had confirmed that suspects were in custody and would be charged to court after the investigation.

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