Policemen attached to the Ondo State Command of the Nigeria Police Force have invaded the homes of a group of pastors who accused the Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, of extortion.
The pastors had narrated how Lawal and some personnel attached to his office allegedly collected N2,000,000 from them using a woman operating a Point of Sale (POS) machine.
They were accused of planning to stage fake miracles during a crusade in Idanre.
After the pastors recounted their ordeal to SaharaReporters, the newspaper contacted the police boss, Lawal, and the command’s spokesman, Jimoh Abayomi, for comments over the weekend.
However, instead of responding to the allegations, SaharaReporters learnt that police officers stormed the pastors’ homes on Sunday night and re-arrested them.
“Around 11pm last night, they came to our houses to re-arrest us. I think you (SaharaReporters) contacted them, and they felt we should be re-arrested so they can deny the allegations and claim we’re still in custody,” one of the pastors said.
“I was afraid when my mother called me around 11pm last night saying policemen had taken over the house and were looking for me. Other pastors also said they came to their houses to arrest them last night and put us in a cell before today and cover up all their lapses.”
The pastor further alleged they have been summoned to appear at the state headquarters in Akure with their sureties after a story published on Monday by SaharaReporters.
“After the story was published, our sureties were called and asked to come with us. We are no longer safe. We are appealing to the new Acting Inspector General of Police, Tunji Disu, to investigate this matter, especially the Commissioner of Police. The CP is trying to be a judge in his own case by this constant harassment,” he added.
SaharaReporters had earlier reported how the pastors accused Ondo police command personnel, including Commissioner Lawal, of extorting N2 million from them.
The clergymen involved include Olarewaju Fadahunsi, Gbadura Marvelous, Arijesulola Kayode, and two others identified as Tijani and Kolade.
They were arrested by a police team said to be directly under the Commissioner of Police and led by Inspector Sunday Aluko on February 11, 2026, at Saint Paul Anglican Church in Odode-Idanre.
“We were arrested on February 11 by police officers in Ondo State where we were planning to organize a crusade. They said someone told them we were planning to do a fake miracle during the crusade, so they detained us for five days,” one of them earlier told SaharaReporters.
“We were shocked and asked if there was any evidence against us or if someone had reported us to them, but instead of answering us, they started kicking us. We were surprised as we hadn’t been to Idanre for a crusade before.
“We were taken to the police headquarters where the police commissioner asked them to lock us up. For four days, we weren’t allowed to see anyone.
“So one of our family members heard about this and called the police public complaint team in Abuja about our unlawful arrest and subsequent detention. Those people spoke to the IPO, Femi David Olatunji, and requested our release.
“To our surprise again, the Ondo State Police Commissioner, Adebowale Lawal, collected the number of the officer who called from Abuja and said he was involved in our case and wouldn’t release us.”
The pastors alleged that after four days in detention, they were taken before the Commissioner of Police, Lawal, who accused them of organising fake miracles and warned them to cooperate with his officers or face severe consequences, including imprisonment and public disgrace.
They said they were subsequently handed over to CSP Emmanuel Oluyemi Fabiyi and advised to cooperate to avoid further trouble.
According to them, the officer later demanded ₦6 million on behalf of the police commissioner in exchange for their release. When they said they could not raise the full amount, they were returned to the cell.
The pastors said they eventually raised ₦2 million, which was accepted after initial resistance. The money was allegedly transferred through a Point of Sale operator into a MoniePoint account registered under Mama Shade Ventures, after which cash was withdrawn and handed over.
They claimed the POS operator appeared to be working with the officers and facilitated the cash payment.
They further alleged that an additional ₦300,000 was paid separately to an inspector as fuel allowance before they were released.
However, days later, they said they were re-arrested and their vehicles impounded after their lawyer filed a petition at the police headquarters.
They also alleged that they were forced to sign an undertaking not to pursue further action against the police commissioner and to write statements admitting to organising fake miracles, despite maintaining their innocence.
