HOW PLATEAU PASTOR ALLEGEDLY MASTERMINDED PLOT TO KIDNAP BISHOPS’ WIVES IN JOS

HOW PLATEAU PASTOR ALLEGEDLY MASTERMINDED PLOT TO KIDNAP BISHOPS’ WIVES IN JOS

By Zagazola Makama

What began as an alleged plan to abduct the wives of two Anglican bishops in Jos was reportedly uncovered by one of the very men recruited to execute the crime.

The case has sparked serious debate about the vulnerability of trusted individuals, the growing threat of insider involvement, and how criminal networks can exploit people with access to communities, institutions and security structures.

The alleged plot reportedly revolved around
Rev. Hassan Yunisim Mijah, 42, of Tudun Wada, Jos North, a clergyman described as a Rev. Canon under the Anglican Diocese of Jos.

Mijah was arrested alongside Sgt. Ezra Sunday, a Nigerian Air Force personnel, and OS Usman Khalid, a Nigerian Navy personnel. Both security personnel were reportedly attached to Sector 1, Operation Enduring Peace (OPEP), in Jos.

The Plateau State Police Command said the arrests followed credible intelligence concerning an alleged criminal conspiracy and a plot to kidnap the wives of Bishop Ephraim Gongden, the current Anglican Bishop of Jos, and retired Bishop Benjamin Kwashi. The intended victims were identified as Mrs Esther G. Gongden and Mrs Gloria Kwashi.

The whistleblower

According to accounts surrounding the investigation, the alleged conspiracy began to unravel when a naval officer approached by the suspected mastermind reportedly refused to participate.

The officer, described as a devout Muslim, allegedly told Bishop Ephraim Gongden about the plot after being approached to take part in the planned abduction. The officer reportedly visited the bishop at his residence in the Rantya area of Jos South Local Government Area and disclosed that he had been contacted by the syndicate.

Rather than participate in the alleged crime, he reportedly cited his religious convictions and moral upbringing as reasons for rejecting the assignment. The information immediately changed the direction of the case.

Instead of confronting the alleged mastermind directly, police operatives attached to the Plateau State Police Command’s Vigilance and Criminal Response Unit (VCRU) reportedly instructed the naval officer to continue playing along with the suspects while detectives monitored the operation. It was a classic attempt to allow the alleged conspiracy to reveal itself from within.

The safehouse trap

While the police were monitoring developments, Rev. Mijah allegedly contacted the naval officer and demanded an update on the arrangements.
According to information surrounding the investigation, one of the critical requirements was a safe location where the intended victims could allegedly be held after their abduction.

Working under police direction, the naval officer reportedly supplied an address that had been placed under police control on the outskirts of Jos. The alleged mastermind apparently believed the safehouse arrangement was genuine.

On August 7, 2026, at about 2:10 p.m., Mijah reportedly travelled to the designated location alongside Sgt. Ezra Sunday and OS Usman Khalid. The trio allegedly arrived to collect the keys to the supposed safehouse. Instead of receiving access to a hideout, they reportedly walked into a police operation.

Operatives of the VCRU who had been positioned at the location moved in and arrested the suspects. The Plateau State Police Command subsequently confirmed the arrest of the three men. The command said the suspects were interrogated and “confessed to the crime.”

The arrests also prompted the police to formally notify Operation Enduring Peace about the involvement of the two military personnel attached to the operation.

The alleged ransom plan

Investigators subsequently uncovered further details about the alleged plot. According to the information provided by the police, Mijah allegedly instructed his co-conspirators to demand a ransom of ₦100 million from the diocese following the abduction.

The alleged instruction reportedly came with a minimum acceptable amount of ₦50 million, suggesting that the kidnapping was allegedly planned as a financially motivated operation rather than an impulsive crime.

If established through the ongoing investigation and subsequent legal proceedings, the alleged ransom structure would indicate that the suspects had moved beyond merely discussing an abduction and had allegedly begun planning the financial demands that would follow.

An earlier attempt to recruit a militia gang

Investigators also reportedly uncovered another disturbing dimension to the alleged plan. According to the information provided, Mijah had initially attempted to contract Fulani Fulani Bandits to carry out the abduction.

That arrangement allegedly collapsed after the militia leader insisted that his men would sexually assault the two women during captivity.
Mijah reportedly rejected the condition.

The alleged failure of that arrangement subsequently led him to seek another group capable of carrying out the operation, eventually turning to military personnel.

The allegation, if established, presents a particularly disturbing picture of how criminal conspiracies can move between different networks in search of people with the required access and capability.

The alleged involvement of two personnel attached to a military security operation adds another layer of concern to the case. Security personnel routinely possess knowledge of movement patterns, locations, routines and vulnerabilities that ordinary criminals may struggle to obtain.

This is why insider threats are considered particularly dangerous in asymmetric security environments. An outsider may need to break through several layers of security. An insider may already know where the door is.

The case therefore goes beyond the alleged targeting of two bishops’ wives. It pointed out to how criminal elements can exploit relationships, access and institutional familiarity to facilitate crimes.

A familiar face in security circles

There is also an element of irony surrounding the allegations against Mijah.

Zagazola Media further learnt that the clergyman was reportedly regarded as being close to security personnel and had, on several occasions, provided information concerning suspected attackers planning to attack communities. That history reportedly made his alleged involvement in a kidnapping conspiracy particularly difficult to reconcile.

A person who is trusted enough to provide intelligence about attackers can potentially acquire knowledge about how security forces operate, what information they consider important and how their response mechanisms function.

This is precisely why intelligence services place emphasis on corroborating information, assessing sources and continuously reviewing the credibility of human intelligence.

The person providing information about the enemy must not automatically be assumed to be incapable of becoming part of the threat.

The alleged dispute with the church

Investigation has also reportedly uncovered a background of administrative friction between Mijah and the leadership of the Anglican Diocese of Jos. According to the information provided, Mijah had previously been dismissed by retired Bishop Benjamin Kwashi. He was later reinstated by the current Bishop of Jos, Rt. Rev. Ephraim Gongden.

Following his reinstatement, Mijah reportedly demanded payment of outstanding allowances or back-pay from the diocese. The diocese allegedly declined to settle the claimed arrears.

Another aspect emerging from the background information is Mijah’s reported political ambition.

The clergyman, described as an indigene of Adamawa State, is reportedly contesting for the House of Representatives seat representing Numan/Lamurde/Demsa Federal Constituency under the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

That political background has added another layer of public interest to the case, although his political activities, by themselves, do not establish any connection to the alleged kidnapping plot. The central issue remains the criminal allegation currently being investigated by the police.

Why the case matters

The alleged conspiracy illustrates one of the most difficult challenges confronting security agencies in an environment where criminal networks increasingly depend on access, information and personal relationships. Kidnapping operations do not always begin in the bush.

They can begin in conversations, through trusted contacts, inside communities, within institutions or among people who appear to have legitimate reasons for being close to potential victims. That is what makes insider threats particularly dangerous. In asymmetric warfare, the enemy does not always announce himself. He may not wear a uniform. He may not carry a weapon openly. He may even present himself as someone helping security agencies identify the threat.

That is why intelligence must be independently verified, regardless of whether it comes from a civilian, a community leader, a religious figure or even someone with access to security personnel.

Investigation continues

The Plateau State Police Command has confirmed that the suspects remain in custody while investigation continues. Operation Enduring Peace has also reportedly been formally informed of the arrest of the two military personnel.

Investigators are expected to establish the full circumstances surrounding the alleged conspiracy, determine whether additional persons were involved and examine the financial, logistical and communication links connecting the suspects.

For now, the case remains an allegation under investigation, and the suspects are entitled to due process and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty by a competent court.

But if the allegations are ultimately established, the case would represent a disturbing example of how criminal conspiracies can allegedly penetrate circles of trust and how one unexpected whistleblower can sometimes expose an entire network before the first victim is taken.

HOW PLATEAU PASTOR ALLEGEDLY MASTERMINDED PLOT TO KIDNAP BISHOPS’ WIVES IN JOS