Winners Chapel covers-up case of missing child Praise went missing in church over a year ago- daily times.ng Article | May 15, 2012 - 2:00am | By Michael Jimoh It has been over a year since Samuel Eleng and his wife, Favour, lost their two-year-old twin daughter at the Children’s department of the Canaan Land, Winners Chapel headquarters, Sango-Ota in Ogun State, and yet, there is no sign of the girl. The couple are still stunned by the mysterious disappearance of Praise on April 17, 2011, an Easter Sunday. Although the Church’s founder, David Oyedepo, was said to have shown support to the family, however, Samuel alleged that the Church had been meddling with the case to prevent it from going public. “We handed our girls, Praise and Glory, over to the school teachers under whose custody many other children were kept. They gave us two tags as proof that we had our children under their care for that day,” said Samuel. However, by the end of the church service, Praise had gone missing from the class in which she was left. Even the teachers in charge of the twin girls were not in sight, as they were said to have all gone for service as at the time the couple went to get their daughters. “I saw my wife around the vicinity of the Children’s section, she was crying. She told me that Praise was missing,” he said. Samuel said they eventually got hold of one of the four teachers supposedly in charge of the children’s class, who was also at a loss regarding the whereabouts of Praise. “She claimed not to know but advised us to check other classes. So we started moving around from class to class, around the church premises,” he continued. By then apprehensive but still hopeful, the couple waited until after the service and reported the matter to Oyedepo, who prayed and joined them in the search. “He (Oyedepo) walked with us to the Children’s department and after praying, he said he has not seen any evil signal,” Samuel said. However, a more frantic search for Praise was not successful as the hours harrowingly dragged on into days and months for the troubled family. “I was thinking so many things; how can I come to the house of God and my child will suddenly disappear? Even if it was time for rapture, how can it just pick my child only?” Samuel said. Thwarting police investigation The case was later reported by the church’s Chief Security Officer, Supol Cosmas, at the Police Area Command in Onipanu, Sango-Ota in Ogun State, where one Ijeoma Lawal was assigned as the Investigating Police Officer (IPO). A source at the police station said that Samuel was questioned but the four teachers directly connected to Praise’s disappearance were prevented from making statements. The source also claimed that a call had come from a senior pastor of the church asking the police not to interrogate the teachers because they had volunteered for the job and should not be put through any hassles. “The caller told the police that the church will handle the matter themselves and the four teachers were promptly released,” said the source. After there appeared to be no headway in the efforts to find Praise, Samuel said he became disturbed and suggested that the case be made public. With photographs of his missing daughter and his wife in tow, Samuel got an interview at the Africa Independent Television (AIT) in Alagbado, Lagos. But when Samuel’s plea to the public for information aired on the station, the broadcaster gave the impression that Praise had disappeared at the couple’s Satellite Town residence, and not the Winners Chapel. “I called the AIT man named Desmond to complain and he told me that was the instruction he received from the church. Even the IPO called me to say that she watched the broadcast and was shocked at what was reported,” he said. Samuel added that his complaints about the AIT broadcast to the church were also not taken seriously. “Is it a sin for me to go to a church of God with my family? This is a year that my child disappeared under the church’s custody. How can I go to AIT only to have a different thing shown? How can the church interfere with police investigation?” He asked. Samuel claimed that, in the same week his child got missing, he had suggested that the four affected voluntary teachers be invited for questioning with Lawal in attendance. But none of the voluntary teachers nor the Investigating officer showed up for the meeting as the Elengs and a neighbour, one Blessing, who had accompanied the couple, waited in vain. Also, last August when Samuel had gone to visit Lawal, he said he was welcomed with congratulatory messages from police officers at the police station, who claimed to have received a call from the church informing them that Praise had been found and that the case be withdrawn. In the same month, thoroughly dissatisfied with the way his church was handling the matter, coupled with the meddling, Samuel took matters in his own hands. One Sunday, Samuel said he went to the Church’s Children Department and bared his anger by declaring that no kid should go in unless his daughter was found. Samuel said his attitude was promptly reported to Oyedepo, who warned him never to go near the Children’s department again. Before then, according to Samuel, Oyedepo was in constant communication with him, but since the classroom incident, “he stopped taking my calls and no more talk about my missing daughter.” Calls for more prayer Samuel said he did not meet Oyedepo again until recently when they met on April 12, 2012, almost a year since his child was missing. “I told him (Oyedepo) that my child was still missing and he said ‘be prayerful, the Lord will strengthen you and your child will be found’,” Samuel said. A source at the church however claimed that a handful of church members, including Cosmas, who also doubles as Aide-de-camp to Oyedepo, are making efforts to find Praise. The source also said that series of meetings were recently held by the church, where the four teachers were invited. When called to confirm the report, Lawal declined to comment on the issue, saying, “please, don’t involve me in the matter.” Cosmas also denied any knowledge of the incident, appearing to be more interested in how Daily Times got his number. However, Desmond confirmed that Praise’s disappearance was reported and broadcasted by the television station a year ago. The Elengs are now at a crossroad, torn between reverence for their church pastor whom they fondly call ‘Daddy’, and their filial love for their child whom Samuel referred to as “our first fruit”. Also, the couple’s pain has recently been heightened by Glory’s constant queries about her missing sister. Little girl abducted from Winners’ Chapel found two years after By Feyi Afisunlu on June 17, 2013-dailypost.ng There was celebration at the Living Faith Church, a.k.a Winners Chapel, Ota, Ogun State on Sunday, following the special testimony of a four-year-old girl, Praise Eleng, who was abducted two years ago from the children’s Department of the church, when she was only two years old. DailyPost had gathered that Praise was kidnapped on April 17, 2011 by a unknown man who reportedly sold her for N40,000. The buyer in turns sold her to another woman, who she has been living with in Enugu. Praise was found following the confession of the man who kidnapped her. He was said to have owned up to kidnapping the girl when he requested and met with the Presiding Bishop of Living Faith Church (aka Winners Chapel), David Oyedepo. The person who sold the girl and the woman who bought her are currently in police custody in Ota and Enugu respectively. Confirming the new development, Ogun State police command spokesman, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said that Praise was found four days ago following the confession of her kidnapper, Benjamin Ajaelu. Adejobi said Ajaelu died after his confession, adding that he reportedly owned up because he had been having nightmares since he kidnapped the girl. Adejobi said the late kidnapper made some useful confession which the police are investigating to arrest others involved in the kidnapping syndicate. The overjoyed father of the rescued girl, Samuel Eleng, thanked God on Sunday as he narrated the pain the family had gone through since Praise was kidnapped. He said amidst tears, “I bless the name of the Lord! God is awesome. I thought my waiting was in vain. But I have now seen the hand of God. I will serve God all the days of my life.” Adejobi said the case was almost abandoned because it happened almost two years ago. He said the late Ajaelu confessed that he was the leader of the gang that stole the baby two years ago and that he died a day after the confession. The police spokesman said Ajaelu’s confessional statement, which he declined to comment on, would aid police investigation to enable security agents get to the root of the matter. According to him, the command will not divulge Ajaelu’s confession to the media to avoid jeopardising police investigation. Adejobi said the deceased mentioned some names before his death last Friday, adding that the police are working on it in their investigation. “We will do the necessary thing to ensure that we conclude our investigation on the matter. There are also assurances that the police will make arrests now based on his confession,” Adejobi said. It was learnt that late Ajaelu voluntarily told the congregation that he had a confession to make on the matter to avoid sudden death. A source close to the church told our correspondent that Ajaelu had been seriously ill before his decision to confess before the church. He was said to have told the church that he had a dream where he was ordered to confess his sins so he would not die. Neighbours said I used my daughter for rituals’- thenationonlineng.net ‘Neighbours said I used my daughter for rituals’ Posted by: Our Reporter (the nation newspaper) A member of the Winners’ Chapel, Mr. Samuel Eleng, is the father of a four-year-old girl, Praise, who returned home after spending two years and three months with kidnappers. He spoke on how she got missing, the trauma the family went through and how she eventually regained freedom. How did your daughter, Praise, get missing? My daughter, Praise, is four years and three months old. She has a twin sister, Glory . I am a member of the Winners’ Chapel. I have been a member since 2000. They were given birth to on April 17, 2009 at Festac town. The way they were delivered was a miracle- 19 children were delivered and they were the only twins and they were taken to the altar and were anointed. When they clocked two years and 10 months on April 17, 2011, I came here with my children, it was an anointing service. I told my wife, “Can we take them to Children’s Department?” and she said “yes.” Praise was not happy about going to the children’s department that day. I didn’t understand was she was saying. So, I forced them to go that day. We all went to the children’s department and two tags were given to us. And we came back to the service celebrating in God’s presence. After the service I told my wife to pick the children from the Children’s Department and meet me in the bus. She agreed. So, we went to our bus and we were all waiting. We waited for five minutes and she did not come and we started getting worried. The driver of the bus asked what was delaying her and I said ‘may be my wife was finding it difficult bringing the children’. Then, I went to look for her. What did you see when you got to theChildren’sDepartment? When I got to the children’s department, I saw her weeping outside and asked what the problem was. She said ‘our baby Praise cannot be found’. I asked the teacher in charge and she said the person who gave them the two tags had gone for fourth service. I said, ‘madam, do you people play negligence here?’ She said, ‘no, everywhere is well secured.’ Then I said, ‘how come my baby is missing? How can a baby get out of this environment without you observing it?’ She said I should check the next class. We checked the next class, all to no avail. Throughout that day, we were in confusion; I refused to go home and insisted on seeing Bishop David Oyedepo. At the end of the service, I saw the Bishop and told him what happened. He quickly rushed with me to the Children’s Department and asked where the class was. I pointed at it and he made declarations: ‘I have not sensed any evil signal; that child is coming back.’ I held on to that word because he is a man I love so much. I keyed to the word and I said, ‘daddy what next?’ He said I should go to the camp house and stay with my wife. I said ‘ok’. What happened thereafter? That was when we started our problem. Monday came, nothing happened. On Tuesday too, there was nothing. The Bishop always came to visit us, asking how we were. I always told him we were fine. He kept proclaiming the same declarations that she would be found. And we held on to it. But as a man in the flesh, I was touched and started weeping and crying. One day, we said ‘ok, if that is the case, let’s make it public’ and we contacted AIT. We went there and she was on telecast and we continued our prayers. We still held on to God. Neighbours made comments and nicknames were given that I had used my child for rituals; that I had connived with the bishop and it is only me who know what has happened to my child. Whatsoever they said, I paid deaf ears to it. But my sure assurance was that brethren gathered in the presence of God. I never attempted to go anywhere else. You said people gave you names. What names? Did you lose hope of finding her and how were you comporting yourself amidst the name-calling and trauma? My bishop gave an instruction at the Church Secretariat, up to the secretary on the last floor – that if I came to the office, nobody must say that he was not around. He said anytime I came, they should take me up and he would be comforting me with the word of God and that’s what I did. So, anytime I felt down, I would just come down to the church. My wife came with the little baby, that she wanted to see daddy. I said, ‘daddy this is what they have said again concerning me’. He would then say, “Samuel kneel down” and I would go on my knees and he would embrace me and say, “I transfer my peace to you” So, that was how it went on. It was his peace that was sustaining me. After the 2011 incident, I was here for Shiloh 2012. When it got to the police, the way and manner people were handling it was not to my comfort. When we went to the police, they said they wanted to take the case to court but I said no, I said ‘how can I stand in court against my father?’ So, that was how I didn’t show up in court. Some members of the church went there and they called me to come but I refused. Because there was no way I was going to stand against my father, Bishop David Oyedepo, in court. I said, “God, if you cannot do it, just leave it; but there is one thing I assure you of, I will never go another way.’ I left the church for a while and didn’t attend any church. I locked myself inside the house and would always place my baby’s picture inside my Bible and cry unto God. It became a thing of friendship between me and God. God started assuring me, “Samuel, your baby will come back!” I never met with the Bishop again. I consulted no pastor again. My wife and I prayed in the mid-night hours, naked before God, crying unto heaven. I would weep all night and when it was daybreak, I would be the happiest man, going about my business, as usual. My baby, Glory, would comfort me, saying, ‘daddy don’t cry, I saw Jesus carrying Praise on His shoulders’. My wife said she wanted to be pregnant again in order to find comfort. So, she got pregnant. What really broke the head of the devil is where I am going now. when my wife was pregnant, we went to the Redemption Camp frequently to pray until the day of delivery. On December 27, 2012, my wife went to the hospital for delivery at about 7.p.m. I was on my way to the hospital when I heard a voice, “Samuel, shut your mouth. Whether you pray or you don’t pray, the way and manner this child will be delivered, that is the way your baby, Praise, will come back.’ I looked around me but saw nobody. I went to the hospital and was eager to see how the miracle was going to happen. I saw my wife and I said, “How do you feel? Have they attended to you?” And she said no. She said there were other people in the delivery room. She said I should pray and I said “No. Let’s us not pray” having said that, I told her what the Lord had told me on my way to the hospital. Behold, the baby in her womb pulled out without her entering into the delivery room. From that day on, I cast away worry. The Lord said to me, “Samuel, I have come to give you peace.” So the pain in me, the feeling of pain was erased from my heart. Every where I went, I took my Bible, encouraging myself in the Lord. Three months after that, I started going to a nearby church. I kept waiting on the Lord to speak and I kept giving thanks everyday, especially in the midnight, with my little baby. On June 12, I dressed my daughter up for school and I put the food on the dining table. I asked her to come and eat. We usually pray together before eating and she prays this way: “Father, thank you for today. As we are about to eat, bring my sister, Praise, and let her come and join us in this table.” That particular day, my daughter said, “Daddy, but we have been praying for Praise, where has Praise gone to?” I said to her, “Praise has travelled with mummy and she will soon come back”. I never knew that those words were words of prophecy. The following day, I took her to school and two days went by and nothing happened. But on Saturday, June 15, I was in the shop and I received a call, “Are you the father of the twins?” I said, “Yes” and she said “I am Mrs. Adewale” I said, “from where?” She said she was from Obasanjo Farm Police Station. I asked her what she wanted and she said my baby had been found. I asked her whose baby because it was too shocking. At first, I was scared, because I thought it was another plan of kidnap. I called the woman back and said, “This is me ma. The I. P. O. before was Mrs. Lawal , so why is it Mrs. Adewale that is calling me now? She said, “Lawal has been transferred.” I then asked of the D. P. O. because I wanted to hear it from the horse’s mouth. She said it was another DPO that was there. I went to pick one of my brothers and two other men to accompany me to the station. So you saw her at the station? When I saw my baby at the entrance of the police station, I was shocked and amazed at the same time. I fell down and I collapsed and the police started carrying me up. I thought I was no more because I didn’t imagine God doing this kind of thing. I know that I have followed God in sincerity of heart. I said “God can you do this thing?” I turned to my daughter and carried her. When she saw me, she said she wanted to go and sleep. She no longer speaks English; it is Igbo language that she speaks now. I called her Praise and she said ‘Yes’ I said ‘I am your daddy’. She hugged me and kissed me. The police men said, ‘If a miracle like this is happening, the whole of the station will be worshipping the God of Oyedepo.’ I bless the name of the Lord! God is awesome. I thought my waiting was in vain, but I have now seen the hand of God. I will serve God all the days of my life. Have you gotten any idea who the kidnappers of your baby were? There were speculations. Some said that the person who took her must have printed a fake tag. They said that the kidnapper might be someone we know. I said the only person that is close to me is a printer and I was the one who invited him to this church in February 2011 and then in April Praise was kidnapped. They police said that if that was the case, the man was a suspect . So, we went to arrest him. I told them I didn’t want to go to the court but I was forced to. On getting to the court I saw the brethren all there. As at that time, I had never been to the court before. The judge complained that I was asked to come to court before but I refused; so, the case was adjourned. I went on my knees and said, “God have mercy; you are the judge of all.” Do you know the man that made the confession? Have you ever had any dealing with him? No, I don’t know him. We were told that he came to confess to the Bishop and after the confession he became blind again and died. He is in the mortuary right now. The police came to meet the Bishop here and that was where he was interrogated. We heard that there was a syndicate; the person who stole the child, the person who bought her for N40, 000 and the last recipient in Enugu who bought her… The person who took the child to sell is in the police custody and the person or people who bought the child are still in Enugu. Don’t you need to know to what extent they dealt with the child while with the syndicate? I don’t think that is necessary because the Bishop said they have carried out medical tests on the child and the child is okay. You have an idea what they were using your child for these past two years? They are in the police custody; so, the police will let us know. As the father of the child, you should find out from the police what really happened, don’t you think? Yes. It is necessary! How has Praise’s interaction with you been since she returned? It was just yesterday that she returned. Blood is thicker than water. The Bishop gave us a car to go and pick her twin sister. When we got home, to my surprise, nobody told Praise to embrace her beloved sister. I asked her “am I your daddy? She said, “Yes” and she also spoke to her mother on the phone calling her “mummy”; she was so happy. Praise and her sister were playing and so they didn’t go to bed on time. Even while they were asleep, they crossed their hands together. What was your wife’s reaction when you told her on the phone that Praise had returned home? I don’t know whether she cried or laughed, but I heard a loud voice. She shouted like never before. She kept calling and asking me if I was sure that Praise had returned. It was until she spoke to Praise herself that she believed. She is on her way now; she said that she wanted to lead the praise in Winners Chapel before coming back! She travelled with our last daughter so they are coming back together.
Posted on: Fri, 21 Jun 2013 12:49:09 +0000
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