JUST IN: Winners Chapel Pastor Abducted in Kogi
A pastor of Living Faith Church Worldwide, popularly known as Winners Chapel and founded by Bishop David Oyedepo, has been abducted by suspected terrorists in Okoro Gbede, Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The cleric was serving in a local branch of the church when he was seized, according to residents of the community.
The incident has sparked fear within Okoro Gbede and drawn wider attention because of the church’s prominence as one of Nigeria’s largest and most influential Pentecostal denominations.
Winners Chapel operates thousands of branches across Nigeria and abroad and is headquartered at Canaanland, Ota, Ogun State, under the leadership of Bishop Oyedepo.
The abduction has raised fresh concerns about the spread of insecurity into religious institutions linked to globally recognised church networks.
Community members described the incident as deeply unsettling, noting that the Winners Chapel presence in the area had long been associated with order and stability.
Some church activities in the community were reportedly scaled down following the abduction.
As of press time, neither the police nor the Living Faith Church had issued an official statement on the incident. However, prayers for the safe return of the pastor were said to be ongoing within the church.
The incident underscores growing fears that clergy are increasingly becoming targets of criminal violence, even within prominent churches associated with high-profile religious leaders such as Bishop Oyedepo.
