‘General Overseer’, other held for robbery

Police in Ogun State have arrested a pastor, Daniel Onwugbufor, in connection with alleged armed robbery. The pastor, who is the General Overseer of God’s Favour Ministry, Iba, in Lagos State, was arrested along with a man, Israel Animashaun, on February 1, by operatives of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS). The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Abimbola Oyeyemi, said in a statement yesterday that the arrest of the suspects followed a series of carsnatching report which the command had been trying to unravel. Oyeyemi, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, stated that the police had been working on a clue to smash the syndicate.

According to him, one of the stolen vehicles, Lexus RX 330 jeep, was tracked down to the pastor’s Iba residence in Lagos. After the cleric’s arrest, Oyeyemi said the police consequently apprehended Animashaun, described as an active member of a threeman gang of armed robbery syndicate that specialised in snatching exotic cars at gunpoint. He said: “On interrogation, Animasaun confessed that he and two others snatched the Lexus jeep at gunpoint at Ajah in Lagos and took it to the pastor who used to help them in selling such (stolen) items. “He stated further that the pastor only paid him the sum of N350,000 for the car after using it for two weeks before he sent it to his other accomplice in Onitsha who is still at large.

“He also informed the police that he once robbed somebody of a Galaxy Samsung handset which the pastor bought for N35,000 from him.” Oyeyemi stated that the pastor first denied knowing Animasaun to be an armed robber. The PPRO added that the cleric later confessed when confronted by Animasaun, adding that he (Onwugbufor) blamed his action on the devil.

“He informed the police that the snatched jeep has been sent to his accomplice in Onitsha but promised to work with the police to get the said accomplice arrested. Efforts are ongoing to get the Onitshabased accomplice arrested,” Oyeyemi said. The PPRO pointed out that the Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu, had directed the FSARS operatives to intensify effort towards getting all members of the syndicate arrested.

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