The family of Zachariah Barnabas, a drummer at the Kingdom of Glory Church in Lagos, has alleged that Pastor Olayinka Samuel, the General Overseer of the church, is obstructing an investigation into the disappearance of the 23-year-old drummer.
Barnabas, who had been with the church for approximately four years, reportedly went missing after attending a church program on October 11, 2023.
His sister, Janet, accused Pastor Samuel of providing conflicting information to the family, including falsely claiming that Barnabas had been found in a hotel.
“Barnabas left home on October 7, 2023, to play the drum set at a church. He was supposed to return on the 10th. The last time we heard from him was when he called our mom with someone else’s phone, informing her that he wouldn’t come home until the next day. The case was reported to the police, but the pastor claimed the police shouldn’t investigate until a particular day when his members would be around,” Janet stated.
Israel, Barnabas’s brother, refuted the pastor’s allegations of his brother being a cultist, emphasizing the need for the government’s intervention to compel Pastor Samuel to disclose information about Barnabas’s whereabouts.
In response, Pastor Samuel denied any involvement in the disappearance, asserting that Barnabas attended a Bible study at the church on the evening of October 10 and left afterward.
The pastor accused the family of attempting to tarnish his name and the church’s reputation, suggesting that they are now targeting him directly instead of other church members. The family insists on government intervention to uncover the truth and locate Barnabas.
