75 people, 26 of them children, have been rescued by the Nigerian police, after being held hostage by a religious cult that had told them to wait there for the "return of Jesus". They were housed in an overcrowded basement in Ondo town, and most of them are believed to have been kept there for months.
The police call to the Church of the Believers came after a mother reported missing her children, who she believed were in the church. Police said they are investigating a mass hostage-taking as they have arrested the church's pastor, David Anifowoshe, and his deputy.
Police spokesperson Funmilayo Odunlami said: “Initial investigations revealed that Pastor Josiah Peter Asumosa and his assistant had told members of the church that the event would take place in April but later changed it to September 2022, telling the youths of children to trust only their parents in God".
He added that the police had rescued a total of 26 children, eight teenagers and 43 adults.
The Second Coming of Christ in some Christian faiths according to the Bible is his return after ascension to heaven. The event, called according to some of them 'The Rapture', is associated with the idea that believers will go to heaven at the second coming of Christ.