No fewer than 15 armed robbers
invaded the Christ Apostolic Church in Alagbado area of Lagos, stealing an
estimated cash of N2million and about 40 mobile phones. The robbers, who
operated for about 20 minutes inside the church, were said to have also
attempted to rapé a few of the ladies in church service before they left the
church premises.
It was gathered that the heavily armed men came around 2am last Friday while the over 450 congregation was engrossed in a prayer session.
It was gathered that the heavily armed men came around 2am last Friday while the over 450 congregation was engrossed in a prayer session.
"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."
Said a member of the church who
craved anonymity. 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
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.”
The Pastor of the church 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, 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.”
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.”
The Pastor of the church 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, 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.”
The informant who first arrived the
church could not escapee. “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.”
According to Punch, the gang leader,
who led the church operation and angrily pulled off his mask, was the son of a
traditional ruler. The guy, identified simply as Ade, had been arrested, but
there had been high-powered influences seeking his release from police custody.
These robbers no dey fear God again!!!!!!!!!!!!
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