Pastor Absconds With 52 Worshipers’ Phones After Ibadan Crusade
A Gambian pastor, Owen Abraham, has been declared wanted by the Oyo State Police Command after he allegedly absconded with 52 mobile phones, money, and other valuables belonging to worshippers who attended a 3-day gospel crusade that he organized in Aponrin in Agbowo Area of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, reports the Daily Trust newspaper
The report sourced from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said the clergyman, who claimed that God sent him from The Gambia to Ibadan for the crusade, told his audience on the last day of the program that the Holy Spirit told him to instruct them to submit their phones, money, and other valuables so that they could focus on praying without distractions.
Meanwhile, most of those who attended the program were widows and students because the cleric had used the bait of empowering them with finance and material resources to lure them to attend.
One of the victims, Mrs. Grace Akintola, a widow said many widows attended the program because the cleric promised each of them a bag of rice and money.
She added that he also promised students, who attended the program, scholarships.
According to her:“The pastor approached a lady in our area to assist him to gather widows and students and that he wanted to help us.
“Someone in my area invited me to the crusade. The crusader put on a priest’s regalia. He even said he would buy a fully-furnished house for one of us.
“The pastor equally promised some of those who attended the crusade money, the kind of money that even politicians could not give.
“On the last day of the crusade, he (pastor) sold a bottle of water for us at the rate of N4,800; he said that the water had been mixed with perfume, and many people paid for it.”
The student narrated that Abraham had instructed that no phone should ring during the program which was why he collected all of them, adding that he snapped at a lady who attempted to take a photograph of him with her phone and seized the phone from her.
On the last day of the crusade, the pastor reportedly informed his audience that he wanted to go and rest at the hotel where he lodged, unknown to them that he had perfected his escape plans.
Meanwhile, the Police Public Relations Officer in Oyo State, Adewale Osifeso, confirmed the incident, adding that the police have commenced an investigation into the matter.
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