Suspected armed robbers on Tuesday attacked the New Ona Iwa Mimo Onimajemu Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Angwan Kwaso, Tunga-Maje community in Zuba, Abuja and carted away money and phones belonging to members.
The Leader of the Church, Prophet Oladejo John, told journalists that the assailants who carted away money and phones also left the community in panic after several gunshots.
Residents said the suspected robbers who were four in number wore military camouflage to attack the church at about 2: am and kidnapped three women from an ongoing night vigil.
The leader of the church, however, said he picked a bottle and threw it towards the direction of the bandits as they had abducted the three women from the church.
He said after he broke the bottle, the noise made a gun-like sound and the bandits retaliated with several gunshots and disappeared, leaving the women behind without abducting them.
He said,
“I came back, took a bottle of soft drink around the Church premises, then threw it in the direction of the bandits, it hit a rock and sounded like a gunshot. They fired back at my direction and ran away, leaving the three women behind.’’
Mrs komolafe Bose who was an eyewitness said the culprits came into the church and ordered everyone to lie down flat on the floor and asked for the pastor.
Bose said that John stood up and identified himself as the pastor, adding that they searched everyone and collected their phones, money and other valuables in the church.
She said,
“They asked daddy where is his gun, Daddy asked them to introduce themselves first, then one of them used a stick and hit him on his body.
“The other one attacked and beat him, asking where he kept his money and phone. After robbing us, they took four women away including daddy’s wife, they took me with my daughter, when getting 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 N5 million for the women to be released. He followed them behind, on his way, he saw that the woman had been released.’’
Mr Akinlami Aduragbemi, a resident in the area called on the Federal Government to deploy security operatives to the area. He urged the government to act fast, adding that they might not be able to sleep without proper security.
The case was reported to Zuba Police station in the morning and security operatives came immediately with enough officers to commence investigation.
NAN
