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| ransacked room |
An eight-man robbery gang on New Year’s Day raided two churches in Oshodi area of Lagos and also robbed some of the residents.
PUNCH Metro learnt on Thursday
that the robbery which took place on Aimasiko and Afariogun streets
began around 3:30am and lasted for over an hour.
The churches attacked were Temple Rebuilders Ministry and Renewed Christian Word Mission.
The senior pastor, Temple Rebuilders
Ministry, Barnabas Otoibhi, told our correspondent that the hoodlums
attacked the churches after the vigil.
He said, “We ended our vigil around
1:30am and most of the congregants went home. However, some others
stayed behind to sleep and decided to leave when it was daybreak. The
hoodlums broke in around 4am.
“They tied up all the members and
dispossessed them of their phones, money and other valuables. The
robbers then headed for my office and vandalised the wooden demarcation.
They asked for where the safe was and ransacked the entire church.
“The robbers even took the drinks that
were in the freezer. One of them took a 12-year-old girl in the church
and attempted to rape her but the others asked him not to do it.”
A member of the church, Cyril Akhabue, who was beaten up by the hoodlums, said some of the robbers were not armed.
He said, “When the robbers came, only
one of them entered the church so I thought it was just one person. When
I had the opportunity, I got into a fight with him but as the fight
raged, seven others appeared from nowhere and started beating me.
“I was beaten up and then two of them
showed me guns. The others wielded cutlasses, crowbars and chisels. The
robbers did not wear masks and they took their time to rob us. At least
N30, 000 was collected from one church member while others were robbed
of their wristwatches, earrings, necklaces. We were all tied up and were
asked to lie down.”
When our correspondent visited the second church, Renewed Christian Word Mission, the pastor was said not to be around.
However, a worker in the church, who identified himself simply as Felix, confirmed that the church was also attacked.
He said, “Around 4am, I was ironing my
clothes when I heard a female church member running and screaming. When I
tried to see what was going on, I saw five armed men.
“They ordered us to lie down and then
they took our phones and money, shoes, bags. They also took some church
equipment like cameras, mixers and musical instruments.
“This is about the third time they would
be robbing this church within a period of three months. In December,
the robbers took two generators and other church equipment and we
reported to Makinde Police Division.”
PUNCH Metro investigations revealed that at least three other churches had been robbed in the area in four months.
Otoibhi said church robberies had become commonplace in the area in recent times.
“Two months ago, robbers attacked a
Redeemed Christian Church of God parish on Eyinogun Street, Mafoluku
while a Foursquare Gospel Church parish on Afariogun Street was also
robbed in December. In October, a Christ Apostolic Church was robbed in
Okeleye Street,” he said.
A resident, who craved anonymity, said
apart from churches, residents and pedestrians were also being robbed at
will by the robbers.
The resident said police had stopped their usual patrols about five months ago, giving robbers the leeway to attack them.
He said, “It’s no longer news that from
Charity Bus Stop to 7 and 8 Bus Stop on Airport Road and under the
bridge at Toyota Bus Stop on Oshodi/Apapa Expressway and the flyover
which leads to Mafoluku, armed robbers usually attack people there
“It’s so bad to the extent that when people are going to work between 5am and 6am, robbers attack them.”
The spokesperson for the state police command, Ngozi Braide, could not be reached for comment.
A senior officer however said the
Divisional Police Officer, Chikezie Okezie, would be summoned to the
command headquarters over the incident.
“The command will summon the DPO
because all DPOs across the state were warned by the Commissioner of
Police, Mr. Umar Manko, to provide security around churches in the state
and to also lead all operations within their jurisdictions,” he said.
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