TheCable

The bravery of Oladejo John, pastor of the New Ona Iwa Mimo Onimajemu Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Angwan Kwaso, Tunga-Maje community in Zuba, federal capital territory (FCT), led to the release of three abducted female members of the church.

The attackers who invaded the church around 2am on Tuesday carted away members’ money and phones.

When journalists visited the community, they gathered that the bandits, four in number, wore military camouflage.

John said he picked a bottle and threw it in the direction of the suspects as they made away with the three women.

He said after the bottle got broken, it made a gun-like sound and the bandits shot back but ran away after that, leaving the women behind.

“I came back, took a bottle of soft drinks around the church premises, then threw it in the direction of the bandits, it hit a rock and sounded like a gunshot,” he said.

“They fired back at my direction and ran away, leaving the three women behind.”

Bose Komolafe, a witness, said the suspects came into the church and ordered everyone to lie face down on the floor and asked for the pastor.

Bose said John stood up and identified himself as the pastor, adding that they searched everyone, took phones, money and other valuables in the church.

According to her, they asked John where his gun was.

“Daddy (John) asked them to introduce themselves first. Then one of them hit him with a stick. The other one attacked and beat him, asking where he kept his money and phone,” she said.

“After robbing us, they took four women away including daddy’s wife, they took me with my daughter, when we were outside the church, they asked me to go back.

“My daughter was taken away, on their way inside the bush, they told one of the women to go back and then left with the remaining three. They told our pastor to pay N5m for the women to be released.

“He followed them behind, on his way, he saw that a woman had been released.”

A resident of the area, Akinlami Aduragbemi, called on the federal government to beef up security in the area by deploying policemen.

The case was reported at Zuba police station in the morning and the officers visited for investigation.