Israel Ekwuruibe is a devout catholic. Aside attending church regularly, he was a member of the choir at St. Theresa Catholic Church, Finima in Bonny, Rivers State. On Sunday, September 29, he went to church and sat on the choir pew, using his baritone voice to sing praises to God. But deep within him was a sinister plan that had been conceived along with five others to kidnap the little son of a church member for a ransom.
As soon as he sighted the car of their target, Israel made a sign to other gang members who were also within the church building, pretending to be genuine worshippers. The other suspects were Ifeanyi who was said to have formed the gang, Godswill Bernard, Loveday Anakwuru, Ogechi Nwosu (also a church member) and Odinaka Gabriel.