Blessing Bello, Reporting
SIX men allegedly posing as pastors have been arrested over fraudulent “miracle” schemes targeting residents of Idanre in Ondo State.
The Ondo State Police Command confirmed the arrests on Thursday.
In a statement issued by the Command’s spokesperson, Jimoh Kazeem, the suspects were identified as Fadahunsi, Kolade, Tijani, Iyanuoluwa, Arijesulola and Ademola.
According to the police, the arrests followed an intelligence-led operation conducted on 16 February 2026 by tactical teams in collaboration with Community Safety Officers.
Investigators said the suspects organised elaborate schemes in which they presented themselves as pastors and spiritual leaders, staging fake miracles and religious interventions to gain the confidence of unsuspecting residents.
Preliminary findings indicate that the group exploited the faith and personal challenges of their victims, offering false assurances of divine intervention in financial, health and other personal matters, before allegedly defrauding them.
Police sources disclosed that the suspects operated in a coordinated manner, with each individual assigned specific roles to sustain the appearance of authenticity.
Further investigations are under way to determine the full scale of the alleged fraud, identify additional victims and trace any accomplices still at large.
The suspects remain in custody and are expected to be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.
The police have urged members of the public to remain vigilant and to verify the credibility of individuals making religious or spiritual claims in order to win trust, warning that such tactics may be used to conceal criminal intent.
