The Bayelsa State Police Command has arrested a cleric, Pastor Elijah Oro, over an alleged plot to assassinate a rival pastor in the state, in a case that has sent ripples through the religious community.
Operatives of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Unit, acting on intelligence, picked up Pastor Oro alongside a suspected cultist, Samuel Daniel, said to have been hired to carry out the killing.
Police spokesman, DSP Musa Mohammed, said the arrests were made on January 28, 2026, following credible information. He identified the suspects as Daniel, 21, from Nembe Ogbolomabiri Community in Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, and Pastor Oro, 59, from Ozoro Community in Delta State.
According to the police, preliminary investigation showed that Daniel, who was arrested within the premises of the intended victim, confessed to being a member of the Greenlanders Confraternity. He allegedly admitted that he was contracted by the cleric to eliminate the rival pastor over disputes linked to church membership and property.
DSP Mohammed said investigations were ongoing to fully unravel the circumstances and motive behind the alleged plot, assuring residents that the command would not relent in its duty to safeguard lives and property.
He urged members of the public to continue supporting the police with timely and credible information, stressing that community cooperation remains critical to effective policing.
Meanwhile, in Zamfara State, police operatives, working with the military, have rescued a man abducted by armed bandits in Tsafe Local Government Area.
The victim, Abdullahi Isah Nagari, was kidnapped on January 29, 2026, and later found tied to a tree with machete injuries on his hand. Police spokesman, DSP Yazid Abubakar, said the rescue followed a report of the abduction, adding that security patrols had been intensified in the area.
The Zamfara State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Balarabe Maikaba, reiterated the command’s resolve to tackle banditry and protect residents, calling on the public to continue sharing useful intelligence with security agencies.
