Six arrested for robbing church during worship

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested six people, including a Beniniose who attacked a  Pentecostal church at Ijanikin area of the state and robbed the congregation and church of its tithes and offerings.

According to the police, members of the gang had during the New Year eve service stormed the church and robbed the church of N47, 000 offerings and robbed congregation of money, phones and other valuables.
One of the gang members explained that the operation was painstakingly planned and the gang had attacked the church just as member of the gang, however revealed that the pastor was collecting tithes and offering.
The six gang members on Wednesday were paraded at the Police Command, Ikeja.

Police spokesperson, Ngozi Braide identified the members as Abbey Edward , Adewale Osoja , Bala Yahaya , Hassan Ado , Ahmed Boladale , and Abiodun Olanrewaju.
Braide said that the police were on the trail of other members of the gang , who escaped from the scene of the robbery operation
she added that members of the gang were arrested after one of them returned to the scene of the incident, searching for a weapon that got missing during the operation.
Braide said: “On December, 31, 2013  at Christ Authority and Evangelical  Ministry , Vespa ,Ijanikin  along the Lagos Badagry  Expressway, was invaded by a group of armed robbers. The robbers robbed worshippers who had gone for the Cross over Night service of their valuables, which include: iPads , iPods , phones, jewelries  , money and the church offering.

"They struck when  the worshippers were exchanging pleasantries  for the New Year and hugging and shouting happy New Year. The same gang also robbed at Motorola Street , Vespa , Ijanikin on January, 1, 2014, where the occupants exhibited bravery and engaged them in a fight. As  a result , one f their operational weapons fell on the ground and they escaped, after residents of the area had foiled the attempted robbery.
“However on January, 2, 2014 , Hassan Ado foolishly went to search for the missing weapon , leading to his arrest  and subsequent arrest of other members of the gang by men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad.
“The leader of the gang , Bala Yahaya , confessed to have participated in the church robbery. He however insisted that he was lured into the robbery by his friend Wale.

A 45-year-old Beniniose, who supplied the gang with five double barrels locally made pistols he imported into Nigeria was also arrested.

He allegedly sold each gun N7,000 to the gang leader, who in turn sold same to robbers at N20,000 each.

Braide said: “In addition to their confessions of various robbery operations in Lagos, they also confessed to be members of Eiye confraternity. We are on the trail of those at large.”

The Beniniose admitted to have procured the arms for the gang from the Republic of Benin but insisted that the members of the gang had told him that they wanted to use it for security.