Lagos State Police Command, paraded seven suspects of a robbery gang that attacked the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos last month.
Among the suspects, was the General Overseer of The Way of Joy Church located in Egbe, a Lagos suburb. The pastor, identified as Ibikunle Olarewaju John, has confessed. But there is more…
Although, Pastor Ibikunle disclosed that his share of the loot was N500,000. But investigation carried out by Crime Guard showed that he might have got more than that. A suspected member of the gang confirmed Crime Guard’s claim. A further attestation to this claim was the discovery that Pastor Ibikunle bought two cars apparently from his share of the loot, two weeks later.
A man who pleaded anonymity opened up and asked :“Are you a member of the church”? The reporters shook their heads.
He further said, “ if you know what is good for you, better leave there before you will get yourself into trouble. The white garment church was sealed last week after the arrest of the Pastor.. Some policemen came last week and arrested him and before we knew it, we started hearing he was a member of a robbery gang. Even, the whole newspapers in Nigeria carried the news two days ago”
Before his arrest, Pastor Ibikunle was said to have dedicated two vehicles, during which he hosted members of his church and friends to a buffet.
“Although he is an easy-going fellow who by every dint of appearance never exhibited any character of a robber. We usually saw people coming in and out of the church on daily basis. And on Sundays, there were usually church services.
“Towards the end of the month, he treated his members and friends who came in posh cars to a party, in celebration of his newly purchased cars. It was not long that we heard he bought them with the proceeds from the robbery operation at the airport. It was after his arrest that I believed the popular saying that facial appearance is indeed deceptive”, a resident of the area said.
Sources say the pastor’s wife has absconded with their children due to the shame.
