Founder and Senior Pastor of the Embassy of the Blessed Kingdom of God for All Nations in Ukraine, Dr. Sunday Adelaja, has raised alarm that he is on a target list compiled by the Russian President Vladimir Putin following the ongoing attack on Ukraine.
The Ukraine-based Nigerian pastor said he got an intelligence report that he and some other influential persons are on a list of people to be eliminated in the ongoing attack.
The Russian forces on Thursday launched an attack on Ukraine after its president declared a special military operation. Ukraine had since been recording bomb strikes, most of which were said to be targeted at military installations in the country.
Speaking in a video posted on his official Facebook page, Adelaja said he has gone into hiding with his family after receiving the information.
He claimed that he has been Putin’s enemy for over 20 years as he had declared him a persona non grata in Russia since 2005.
In his words, “This is a video I have been looking forward to recording in 48 hours. This is the first time; I and my family have been able to have a place to put our heads on.
“In the last 48 hours, we have been travelling, sometimes we will walk, and sometimes we will run. Other times, we are in a car or standing in a long queue with everyone who wants to escape for the safety of their lives from Ukraine.
“I had wanted to stay back and send my wife out of the country if necessary but then I got information that in a few days, that was two days ago, that the Russians will enter Kyiv and from the American intelligence we got to know that they have a list of people for elimination.
“This is not for ordinary people but for influential people, people who have a public opinion and that I am on that list.
“I knew that I am on the list because I was already a persona non grata (someone not acceptable in-country) in Russia since 2005. I have been a personal enemy of Vladimir Putin for close to 20 years now. He banned me from entering Russia (that’s another story). So I knew I will be on that list.
“But before I left we were able to gather some African students in our house, some people live with me and some people came to join and I have an underground bunker in our house so everybody in my house now are under the bunker.
“I would have stayed back but when I was told that I was on the list and that Russia is going to enter the city, all my leaders in the church said I much leave. So, I have to quickly arrange for myself and Pastor Bose to go to a safe place,” he said.
He assured that he was in a safe place and enjoined people to keep praying for people back in Ukraine.
“So as I am talking to you right now, we are in a safe place. I can’t give you more details than that but the most important thing is that we are no more in that place where the bomb and the shelling (sic). The shelling as some of you saw in the picture on Friday of the bridge that leads to my house but we were able to escape before the bridge was brought down otherwise we wouldn’t have been able to escape.
“The shelling was all around our house and as things are right now, we just want to let you know that we are in a safe place and also let you know that your prays should keep ongoing.
“A lot of other people that are left in Ukraine, the citizens, students, foreigners, and families please just keep praying for them. I and my wife are in a safe place. Thank you for everything,” he added.
