Police operatives from the Ondo State police command have busted and freed about 50 children, kept in the basement of a church in Ondo town.
The children, according to eyewitnesses, were abducted and kept in an underground cell inside the place of worship.
According to a report by Vanguard, the pastor of the church and other accomplices have been apprehended by police detectives in the town and are now detained.
A viral video making the rounds on social media showed the abducted children as they were being taken away inside a police patrol vehicle.
Another clip revealed the moment the pastor of the church and others arrested in connection with the crime were also being led away by the security men.
A voice in the viral video was overheard saying โthere are kidnapped children found in the underground cell of a church in Valentino Area of Ondo.
โThe pastor and some members of the church have been arrested and were also in the patrol van of the police.โ
When contacted, the spokesperson for the state police command, Funmi Odunlami, confirmed the discovery by police detectives.
She went on to say that the victims had been taken to the headquarters of the Command in Akure, the state capital.
She said, โI donโt have the details yet but they are bringing the victims to the headquarters. I will give you the details as soon as I get it from the DPO.โ
