By: Tunde Ajayi
Barely weeks after surviving yet another deadly church attack, tragedy has returned to the household of Pastor Samson Victor Faboade.
This time, the target was not the pulpit but his own home.
On Friday night, assailants stormed his residence at 46 Ifelodun Street, Alusekere Road, Owode Ede, Osogbo, unleashing terror on his wife and children. Eyewitnesses said the attackers forced their way into the compound, manhandling family members, destroying property, and leaving them traumatized.
“They kept shouting his name, asking, ‘Where is Pastor Sam?’ even though he was not at home. His wife and children were crying, begging for mercy. It was heartbreaking to watch.” Recounted a shaken neighbour.
Pastor Faboade had only recently relocated his family to Osogbo, his home state capital, in a bid to shield them from further danger after the July 1, 2023 attack in Ogun State.
On that night, gunmen stormed the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Desire of Nations Parish, Abule-Ori, killing Pastor Ezekiel Abosede and abducting worshippers.
Faboade, believed to be the main target, was whisked away along with his brother and others before being rescued in a fierce gun battle by the Ogun State So-Safe Corps.
But in a cruel twist of fate, the assailants traced his family to Osogbo, leaving them shattered once again.
His tearful wife lamented: “We thought coming home would give us safety, but they still found us here. I don’t know why they are after my husband. He is just a servant of God. Each time we think we are safe, something new happens. My children no longer sleep in peace.”
This is not the first time Pastor Faboade’s life has been intertwined with tragedy. In May 2023, he narrowly escaped death when bandits abducted dozens during a Baptist service in Kaduna, where he had been a guest preacher.
Now, with his family repeatedly hunted, neighbours say enough is enough. “This family has suffered too much,” said one resident. “It is painful to see innocent children growing up in fear, simply because their father chose to serve God.”
The repeated targeting of Pastor Faboade underscores the worsening state of insecurity across the country, where neither the pulpit nor the privacy of one’s home offers refuge.
