The photos of the owner of the kidnappers den uncovered in Ikorodu, Lagos state, Pastor Ernest Nwankwo of the Holy Family Ministry a.k.a House of Mercy and the arrested female kidnapper Rosemary Chukwu who confessed that the pastor sent her to bring the six-year-old boy she was caught with by mob has surfaced online.
Pastor Nwankwo
It was reported on June 25 that the Pastor Nwankwo took to his heels after the booble burst of his involvement in kidnapping children and adults and keeping them as hostages in a den in Majidun area of Ikorodu, Lagos State, where eight victims where rescued.
On June 27, it was reported that the six-year-old boy, Emmanuel Emeka recounted how his neighbor, Rosemary Chukwu a mother of four who kidnapped him strangled and tied him up but for the intervention of the residents who rescued him after he was discovered in a box the kidnapper was carry it would have been a different story.
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According to Punch, Pastor Ernest Chukwuemeka Nwankwo is an indigene of Nsugbe in Anambra East Local Government Area of Anambra State, Nigeria. He was born at Onitsha on 3rd of November 1964 into the family of Mr. and Mrs. Nwankwo Egbunike. He is the General Overseer of Holy Family Happy Family Ministry also known as House of Mercy (Formally Jesus Divine Healing and Deliverance Catholic Ministry), Lagos, Nigeria. He commenced his scamming work in July 1997 to be precise according to the instruction of satan.
He manages two kidnap centres called Happy Family Home Foundation International at both Ikorodu Lagos State and Nkwelle-Ezunaka, Oyi LGA, Anambra State, Nigeria.
Ernest C. Nwankwo is married to Mr Odelia Anulika Nwankwo.
Meanwhile Rosemary Chukwu, a member of Pastor Ernest church who kidnapped her co-tenant’s child and locked him in her toilet shocked her neighbours over her involvement in the kidnap as she was described as a ‘prayer warrior’ and had become sort of a nuisance to her neighbours who many times said they had complained about her praying habit according to her neighbours.
According to a neighbour: “She would shout and scream and make noise while praying. She makes everybody uncomfortable. That is what everybody knows about her here. This is why we are still in shock about what she did,” said one of her neighbours at 33, Omo Ologede area in Majidun, Lagos.
The kidnapper, Chukw and the pastor, Nwankwo
Neighbours said although she’s married with two girls and two boys they had not seen her husband, as he was usually away from home even though they are still together.
RELATED: I Was Strangled, Tied Up ─ Kidnapped Six-Year-Old Boy Recounts His Ordeal
According to Punch correspondent who visited the church on Wednesday, a crowd of residents had surrounded the church but were prevented by policeman form birning the church down. But some youths were said to have succeeded in entering the church before the police came and seized hundreds of audio CDs of an album recorded by the pastorand excitedly sold the CDs on the Ikorodu Road to motorists and passers-by for N50 each.
Residents of houses nearby could not provide any information about the whereabouts of the pastor as some residents who pleaded anonymity informed Saturday PUNCH that the church was not a conventional one.
“They don’t hold service on Sundays, only on Tuesday and Thursday. The pastor claims to treat mad men,” one of them told Punch.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, who confirmed the incident said the the female kidnapper, Chukwu would soon be transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba for investigation while confirming that the whereabout of the pastor is not unknown.
The six-year-old victim, Emmanuel Emeka