District pastor, member of a robbery and car snatching gang, remanded in prison

The district pastor of a church in Ilorin, Kwara State, alleged to be a member of a robbery and car snatching gang has been remanded in prison by a Lagos Magistrate’s Court in Ikeja.

PUNCH reports that the 37-year-old pastor, Adebambo Adetunji and other suspects still at large, formd a gang that robbed and snatched cars at gun point in Lagos.

The report said that a Toyota Camry and a Mercedes Benz ML320 with number plates MUS 413 BH and LND 623 BF respectively, were diverted by the suspected robbers, who terrorized Ojota, Lagos between April and July 2014.

The Mercedes Benz car was said to belong of one Boniface Joseph, who was robbed around 10.30pm on April 30, at the bus stop. His two phones and iPad were also taken away. The Toyota Camry belonged to one Oluwatoyin Badmus, who was reportedly robbed on July 6 around 6pm at the same bus stop.

Adetunji was arrested by men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) after Badmus had reported the attack to the police.

The charges against the suspect brought before Magistrate M. O Oshodi on Thursday, read in part: “That you, Adebambo Adetunji and others now at large, on April 30, 2014 at about 10.30pm at Ojota Bus stop in the Lagos Magisterial District while armed with guns and cutlasses did rob one Mercedes Benz Jeep ML320 with registration number LND 623 BF valued N1, 850,000, IPad valued N80,000, Blackberry Bold 5 valued N30,000, Nokia E5 valued N26,000 and cash sum of N250,000 total value N2,236,000 property of one Boniface Joseph.

“That you, and others now at large on July 6, 2014 at about 5.30pm at Ojota Bus stop in the aforementioned magisterial district did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit; armed robbery.

“That you and others now at large on the same date, time and place in the aforesaid magisterial district while armed with guns and cutlasses did rob one Toyota Camry 2008 model with registration number MUS 413 BH valued N2.3m property of one Oluwatoyin Badmus.”

The newspaper reports that the magistrate refused to listen to the defendant’s plea and ordered that he be remanded in prison as the court awaits legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP)

The case was adjourned till December 3, 2014.