invaded the Christ Apostolic Church in
Alagbado, Lagos State, stealing about 40
phones and money estimated at N2m.
The robbers, who operated for about 20
minutes, were said to have also
attempted raping some of the church
members before they left the church
premises.
It was learnt that the men came around
2am penultimate Friday while the over
450 congregation was engrossed in a
prayer session.
A member of the church, who craved
anonymity, said some of the members
had observed a strange 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.
When the gun men got in, the church
members were said to have been
ordered to lie face down, while they
started ransacking them.
One of the church leaders said, "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."
Our correspondent gathered that the
robbers, however, did not know that
there were two other exit doors in the
church.
The pastor was said to have sneaked
out through the exit and dodged behind
a window, where he viewed everything
going on.
It was learnt that the gang leader, who
wore a mask, suddenly became angry
and started arguing with a member of
the gang over a phone that was
snatched from one of the church
members.
The source said, "It must have been God
working at that point. During the
argument, this young man suddenly
pulled off his mask and started fighting
the other robber. They had a heated
argument over a phone they had just
snatched without knowing that the
pastor was looking at them."
PUNCH Metro gathered that the pastor
of the church alerted the police who
arrived at the scene just after the
robbers left.
An elder in the church told our
correspondent that the members of the
church, however, held on to the
stranger in the church who appeared to
have been the robbers' informant.
He said, "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. He was
said to have aided the police in
apprehending the other robbers.
Our correspondent gathered from
residents of the area that the same
gang of robbers had been terrorising the
area for a long time.
A resident, who did not want his name
mentioned for security purpose said,
"After they left CAC that day, they
robbed in about eight other streets –
Baruwa, Tebun Fagbemi, Sunday Fadipe,
Idowu Oya, Ayobola, Balogun, Alhaji SL
and Taibat Banire Estate."
Investigations by PUNCH Metro
revealed that the gang leader, who led
the church operation and angrily pulled
off his mask, was the son of a traditional
ruler.
Our correspondent gathered that the
young man, identified simply as Ade,
had been arrested, but there had been
high-powered influences seeking his
release from police custody.
The pastor of the church, who identified
him, was said to be under pressure to
withdraw his incriminating statement
from the police.
The residents said they were
apprehensive as the state command's
authorities had withdrawn the matter
from the police team originally handling
it at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad.
When contacted, 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.
"It will, however, be unreasonable for
anyone to be apprehensive and
insinuate things against the the
command's authorities in a case in
which they have no interest. Justice is
what we stand for and justice is what we
are going to do in this matter."
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