By; Adeosun Ewatomi
Police operatives from the Ejigbo Division in Lagos have arrested a cleric, Pastor Anthony Israel of the Jesus Disciples Assembly Church, for allegedly killing the son of his landlady, AbdulRahman Olugbade, 17 and secretly burying him inside an uncompleted room.
Crime watch reports that the incident happened on Monday 2nd September, 2024, at Jesus Assembly Street, Omoguwa area of Ejigbo, where he was given an apartment for free by the mother of the deceased, Mrs. Temitope Olugbade.
What would have led Israel to have murdered the victim, who just passed all his subjects in WAEC exam and was waiting to write JAMB before he was buried secretly, was not disclosed by the Police.
The 35-year old Pastor Israel was alleged to have used a knife to slit the victim’s throat while he was sleeping. He then went to their neighbour and borrowed a shovel and hammer which he used to dig a shallow grave inside a room and buried him.
However, the matter got exposed after the landlady’s dog continued barking giving signals to the shallow grave dug inside one of the rooms yet to be completed for rent.
Following the dog’s signals, the younger brother of the deceased suspected foul when he was unable to find the brother after some time. He then went to the spot, where the dog was barking and discovered that the place was tempered with. He raised an alarm which attracted the attention of their neighbours.
But by then, Pastor Israel had escaped. The suspect later came back the next day and was apprehended by their neighbours, who attempted to lynch him before the Police intervened and took him to the station, where he was detained over the alleged murder.
When we visited the scene of the incident, the neighbours were still in shock over what happened and described the deceased as a very quiet boy, who was hard working at his age.
The bereaved mother, Mrs. Temitope Olugbade, was still in shock. She was only able to explain how he knew Pastor Israel as a member of her church and gave him an apartment to stay because he had accommodation problem. She said she was shocked when she was told what happened as the residents apprehended Israel and handed him over to the Police.
At the Ejigbo Police Division where the suspect was detained, members of their church were seen gathered in shock and disbelief discussing in low voices as they wanted to know the outcome of the matter at the station.
Meanwhile, the Ejigbo DPO, CSP Vera Akpa-Ameh, was said to have directed Police operatives to exhume the corpse from the shallow grave and deposit same at the mortuary for autopsy reports.
When crime watch reporter visited Ejigbo Police Division, the DPO, CSP Vera, was not in her office and was said to have gone for routine monitoring in the area.
However, sources at the station said that the DPO has directed that the suspect to be transferred to the SCID Yaba for further investigation.
The suspect may likely be charged before Court for the alleged murder under the Criminal Laws of the State and may be handed life imprisonment.
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