What's happening? It's like Churches are the new targets of armed robbers.
A group of 15 member robbery gang invaded the Christ Apostolic Church in Alagbado, Lagos State during an engrossed prayer vigil last Friday.
The robbers who operated for about 20 minutes made away with 40 phones and money estimated at N2million.
Narrating how the robbery was successful executed, Church members said:
“When the gun men got in, we were asked to have been ordered to lie face down and they started ransacking them. They positioned themselves at the church’s major entrances. They collected money, phones and recharge cards. They started shouting, ‘where is your pastor?’ They took the church offering and wanted to rape some of our women. In the 20 years of my being in the ministry, I have never seen such effrontery before.”
Unknown to them, the pastor had sneaked out through one of the secret exit doors and dodged behind a window, where he viewed everything going on. From his hide out, he was able to alert the police who arrived at the scene just after the robbers left.
A new member of the Church, suspected to be the robbers’ informant, has since been arrested.
A member of the church, who craved anonymity, said some of the members had observed the new man making phone calls while the vigil was on.
He said, “The vigil actually started around 12 midnight. Some of us observed a man who came in around 1.30am. He was seated in the women’s section. About four persons tried persuading him to change seat, including the pastor, but he refused. So they left him.
“I observed him going out several times to make phone calls. At about 2am, I overheard him saying, ‘start coming, they are praying’. Few minutes later, I heard a gunshot.”
The head usher of the church was said to have been shot at close range, when he tried closing the door against the robbers, who he originally thought were arriving late for the programme.
The bullet was said to have shattered the glass at the entrance, and landed on the pulpit.
Also one of the Church elders told PUNCH thus:
“Apart from me, there were three other people who saw him. A particular member of the church even told us that he was the one who grabbed her phone while the robbers were stealing items. He wanted to follow the robbers when they were escaping, but we held him till the police arrived.”
He was handed over to the Ojokoro Police Division for interrogation.
Confirming the incidence, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, said the matter was being investigated at SARS.
Braide said, “The incident took place around 2am and some people were arrested around 4am. The matter is currently under investigation and the suspects, including the son of the traditional ruler, are in police custody.
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