Pastor hired people to stage miracles for N3000 payment, says Police

Taiwo Jimoh and Abiodun Adesoga

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, yesterday revealed that a syndicate, which specialised in hiring people to stage miracles in order to defraud his church members, has been smashed.

According to the CP, six people, among the suspects, have been arrested in connection with the fake miracles.

The suspects have been identified as Lawal Damilola (29), Makinde Folashade (49), Babayemi Joke (37), Precious Sunday (20), Victoria Emmanuel (42) and Gift Adams (42).

The suspects were alleged to have conspired with Pastor Elijah, to carry out the scam. The pastor is presently on the run.

It was further learnt that the syndicate was conducting fake miracles in places like Festac Town, Airport Road and Ikoyi areas of the state metropolis.

Our correspondent also learnt that Elijah conspired with other suspects to hypnotize his church members, and then dispossessed them of their valuables.

Odumosu said that based on the strength of the information, five of members of the syndicate had been arrested.

According to Odumosu, during interrogation, the suspects confessed that they received payment of N3, 000 each from the pastor to stage the fake miracles.

Meanwhile, a 32-year-old Samule Uche, a gunrunner, has been arrested by detectives attached to the Mafoluku Police Station.

Uche was said to have been arrested by the Operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), who were deployed to the scene after receiving information that the suspect was going to the area to sell guns to some armed robbers and kidnappers.

The CP said: “It was based on the strength of the information, that the SARS operatives were immediately drafted to the area for close monitoring. Fortunately, the surveillance paid off as a young man alighted from a motorcycle, at Oshodi canal, armed with a black nylon bag, suspected to be filled with guns. He was immediately arrested and when the bag was searched, two English made revolver pistols were recovered. The suspect confessed that he bought the pistol and planned to sell to a gang of armed robbers and kidnappers in the area at the rate of N250, 000.00.”