Two arrested for burgling Redeemed Church in Ogun

Two suspected armed robbers have arrested for burgling a parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Sagamu, Ogun State.

It was gathered that the suspects, Fidelis Francis, 28, and Lukman Jimoh, 40, scaled the fence and broke into the church using an iron bar.

The suspected armed robbers reportedly hid in a bush for about five hours after burgling the church and later went back to where they parked their operational vehicle close to a bush around the scene of the incident.

Men of the state police command, who had laid ambush for them for hours, arrested and took them back to the crime scene.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, who disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday said the incident happened on Monday around 2am when the church, located at the GRA, Sagamu, was attacked by the suspects.

Oyeyemi added that while Francis is a resident of Udem in Cross River State, Jimoh resides in Akure, Ondo State.

According to him, the Divisional Police Officer at the Sagamu Divisional Police Headquarters received a distress call over the attack and led his team to the scene.

“Upon the distress call, the DPO Sagamu Division, CSP Okiki Agunbiade, mobilised his men and the local vigilantes to the scene, but the robbers had escaped by scaling the fence before the arrival of the policemen.

“While combing the surrounding bush, the policemen sighted a Lexus saloon car with number plate KJA 469 EP parked at a get-away position not too far away from the church.

“The operatives suspected that the vehicle might have been parked by the suspects, mounted surveillance in the area and waited for who would come for the vehicle at that odd hour.

“After waiting patiently for about five hours, the two suspects came, and while trying to move the vehicle away, the policemen swooped on them and got them apprehended.

“On searching the vehicle, two iron bars similar to the ones recovered from the scene of crime were recovered from the car.

“This further increased the police suspicion and the two men were taken to the church, where the CCTV footage was played and the two suspects were seen in the footage as they were breaking into the church.

“Having seen the video evidence, the two suspects were left with no alternative but to confess to the crime,” Oyeyemi stated.

The PPRO added that the Commissioner of Police, Edward Ajogun, commended the display of professionalism by his men.

Oyeyemi said Ajogun has directed an in- depth investigation into the case with a view to charging the suspects as soon as possible.