Primate Ayodele Criticizes Nigeria’s Security Response, Says “Children of the Poor Are Not Prioritized”

 Founder of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has criticized Nigeria’s security system, alleging inequality in the response to kidnapping cases involving citizens from different socioeconomic backgrounds.

In a statement circulating online, the cleric claimed that victims from poorer families are often neglected during rescue operations, while those from wealthy backgrounds receive faster and more coordinated responses due to financial influence.

“Children of the poor were kidnapped and nobody rescued them, but the children of the rich were quickly rescued because they have money. Nigerians don't understand the kind of government we have,” he said.

The remarks have generated mixed reactions across social media, with some users agreeing that there are disparities in security responses, while others argue that rescue operations are determined by intelligence, operational capacity, and risk factors rather than social class.

Security analysts note that Nigeria continues to face widespread kidnapping challenges, with security agencies often stretched across multiple hotspots, making rapid response difficult in some rural and remote areas.

As of the time of filing this report, there has been no official response from security agencies regarding the cleric’s comments.