GhanaWeb, on Wednesday, August 30, 2023, received an intel on how the police had evacuated properties of the closed Zoe Outreach Embassy Church to the forecourt of the church due to an alleged court order.
GhanaWeb sent reporters out to East Legon, where the church is located in Accra to authenticate the information and upon arrival, they observed chairs, speakers, and other properties of the church scattered outside the church premises.
According to one of the reporter's accounts, some church workers and members of the Zoe Outreach Embassy harshly prevented them from filming the situation.
They insisted that it was against the law to film the church and asked the reporters to delete what they had already filmed or they deal with them.
After a few exchanges with the reporters, one of Zoe's church members dashed into the church and returned with a knife, subsequently giving one of the reporters a hot chase.
"I was standing there when I saw the guy coming out from the church premises and as he was coming, I saw him holding a knife. He was going towards the other reporter so I screamed. ...the reporter took to his heels when he saw the guy with the knife and the knife-wielding man gave him a chase.
"I saw another guy emerge from the church and thought there was help in sight only for him to also chase the reporter with stones but they couldn't keep up," one of the reporters narrated.
"They progressed towards me after they lost sight of the other reporter and that shook me to the bones. I stood there frozen and panicky anticipating what would happen to me after I had sought for help from a boutique owner to hide in the shop but was denied.
"One of the guys approached me and rudely requested for my phone. I had in my hand a backpack and phones belonging to another reporter but he snatched everything from my hands and dragged me to the church premises.
"They took me hostage and threatened to beat me if I opened my mouth. They also added that they were only going to release me if I produced the reporter who had run away," one of the reporters added.
GhanaWeb has, however, filed a police report and is awaiting the next action in the coming days.
Background
The Senior Pastor and Founder of the Zoe Outreach Embassy Church, Kelvin Kwesi Kobiri, in 2019, saw some aggrieved customers of his defunct Tikowre Capita besiege the church premises to demand their locked-up funds.
They indicated that they were convinced by the pastor to invest with EL Real Estates and Tikowre Capital, but have not been able to withdraw their dividends or principal since they started in November 2018.
This incident affected the membership of the church as some members and pastors who did not want to be associated with him left.
The case is currently under police investigations