Pastor arrested over alleged plot to kill rival cleric in Bayelsa

Operatives of the Bayelsa State Police Command’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Unit have arrested a pastor, Elijah Oro, over an alleged plot to assassinate a rival prophet in the state.

Pastor Oro, a 59-year-old indigene of Ozoro Community in Delta State, was arrested alongside a 21-year-old suspect, Samuel Daniel, said to be a member of the notorious Greenlanders cult. Police sources disclosed that the alleged plot was linked to a dispute over church membership and property.

According to the Bayelsa State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Musa Mohammed, the arrests followed credible intelligence reports received by the command.

“In the course of our operations on January 28, 2026, at about 10:35am, SWAT operatives arrested Samuel Daniel, 21, of Nembe Ogbolomabiri Community, and Pastor Elijah Oro, 59, of Ozoro Community, Delta State, in connection with an alleged plot to kill a prophet,” DSP Mohammed said.

He explained that preliminary investigations revealed that Samuel Daniel was apprehended at the premises of the intended victim and allegedly confessed to being a member of the Greenlanders cult. The suspect reportedly claimed he was hired by Pastor Oro to carry out the attack.

DSP Mohammed added that the name of the targeted prophet has been withheld for security reasons, while investigations are ongoing to fully establish the motive and circumstances surrounding the alleged plot.

The police assured the public that all suspects would be diligently investigated and prosecuted in accordance with the law.