‘I am an anointed Pastor, was once a cultist n robber’ – Arrested Suspect

A father of three who was arrested alongside three suspected members of a notorious robbery gang that had been terrorizing Lagos and its environs has confessed to be the gang’s armourer. 

The 32-year-old suspect, Sunday Ajewole, also disclosed during interrogation at the Special Anti-Robbery Sqaud, Ikeja, Lagos that he usually hid the gang’s weapons in an uncompleted building in Ayobo area of state, at the end of each operation.

Preliminary investigation also revealed that Ajewole, a drop out from the Osun State College of Technology, is a member of the Aiye confraternity.

Members of the gang according to the Police have allegedly participated in several operations where vehicles were snatched from their unsuspecting owners at gun point. They were also alleged to have been responsible for some of the bank operations as well attacks on Bureau-de-change operators in Lagos and Ondo states.

Police sources hinted that “the gang robbed a bank in Ondo state recently and a bureau de- change office in Ayobo”.

They however met their waterloo, after the Lagos State Police Command got wind of their hideout somewhere around Gowon estate, consequent upon which the command boss, Kayode Aderanti, detailed operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS on their trail.

Operatives were said to have stormed a hotel in Gowon estate, Egbeda, where three suspected members of the gang were arrested. Three operational vehicles suspected to have been stolen, were reportedly recovered from them.

Their confessional statement reportedly led the operatives to a social gathering at Ayobo,where Ajewole, said to be spraying money on the celebrate was arrested. A cut -to- size locally made double barrel gun and some live cartridges were reportedly recovered from him.

In this interview with Crime Alert, the father of three displayed rare boldness as he declared that he had turned a new leaf while in the cell, announcing to the surprise of all that he had been ‘anointed’ to be a Pastor.

Hear him:  “I know I have sinned. But God has forgiven me. Today, I am a changed man. I am not only born again, I am one of the Pastors in the cell! If I come out of this alive, I am going to continue preaching the gospel of God.

Yes! I was once a cultist. But that belongs to the past because God has forgiven me.

“I joined the cult four years ago after my friend, Tunde, initiated me. I was compelled to join because business was no more booming. I own a house in Ayobo, a suburb of Iyana Ipaja which was built ten years ago, while I was working in a filling station. Three years ago, I sold my golf car and used the proceed to build a shop in front of my house.

“I went into supply of kerosene and diesel in Ayobo area of Lagos. But all of a sudden, things began to fall apart.

“I was arrested because my friend Omoloja, (one of the suspects) brought a gun to the Aiye confraternity temple in Isefun Ayobo. Omoloja is a land grabber he is also a member of our cult. When I asked him how he got the gun, he said it was meant for security purpose.

Owing to the fact that I was the third in command, the gun was kept in my possession. I kept it in an uncompleted building. But I never went to any operation with them. My involvement is simply because I kept their weapons”.

But other arrested members described his claim as a lie, insisting that he went with them to the Ayobo operation where some Bureau-de-change operators were attacked and cash, both in foreign and local currencies carted away. They also disclosed that three of their weapons were in Ajewole’s possession.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Kenneth Nwosu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police , DSP said investigation into the case was still ongoing , with a view to apprehending other fleeing members of the gang.