Almost 100 rescued from dungeon after cult church kidnapped to 'await return of Jesus'26 children were among 77 people that Nigerian police found entombed in a dungeon beneath a church after a cult allegedly kidnaped them and told them to 'await the return of Jesus'

77 people including 26 children have been rescued from a religious dungeon in Nigeria they had been locked in and told to 'wait for the return of Jesus'.

Nigerian police in Ondo Town were stunned to find the hostages locked in the tiny cell beneath the Whole Bible Believers Church, which they had reportedly been told to stay in.

Some of the hostages had been locked in the room for a period of many months.

Police suspicions were first raised when a mother reported her children missing as she thought they were at church.

They would eventually find that 26 children, eight teenagers and 43 adults were trapped in the cell.

Police have arrested the church's pastor David Anifowoshe, and his deputy and are now investigating claims of suspected mass abduction.

Police press officer Funmilayo Odunlami said: "Preliminary investigation revealed that one Pastor Josiah Peter Asumosa, an assistant pastor in the church, was the one who told the members that Rapture will take place in April, but later said it has been changed to September 2022 and told the young members to obey only their parents in the Lord."