Police Arrest  Pastor, Nine Others for Death of Traditional Worshiper in Lagos

Rebecca Ejifoma

The Lagos State Police Command, yesterday  arrested a female pastor and nine members of her church for allegedly killing an Oro traditional worshiper, Akeem Agboola in the Oko-Oba area of the state.

The 25-year-old Agboola was said to have lost his life after he and his fellow Oro worshippers stormed the church, commanding them to halt their programme.

It was gathered that Truth and Spirit Prophetic Church at Sanni Taiwo Lawal Street in the Pooposhola area of Oko-Oba was having its monthly vigil when the Oro traditional worshipers were having a sacrament.

A witness and member of the church, Benedicta narrated: “While we were having our vigil, the Oro traditional worshiper came into our church and ordered us to stop worship. But our pastor was trying to explain to them that we were inside the church and not outside the premises. It was when they started beating us that some of us ran away.”

Benedicta, however, admitted that the brave ones and those who were not able to run among them resisted the Oro worshipers.

“It was later that we heard that one of them died. But what is the offence we committed for doing our thing inside the church?” she bemoaned.

A senior police officer from Oko-Oba police station, who would not disclose his identity, recounted that at 6.30 am, they got a report at the station that a church was about to be set ablaze by Oro worshipers.

“We raced to the church. We discovered that there was a serious fight between Oro traditional worshipers and the church members,” he explained.

According to the officer, they were told that while the church was having its vigil, the Oro worshipers were also having theirs.

 “The Oro worshipers who felt that the church should not rub shoulders with them ordered the church to stop their programme.

“The church refused. And there was a fight between the two worshipers. A traditional worshiper, Akeem Agboola was stoned to death by the church members,” he said.

He confirmed that they have seized the Pastor, Mercy Okocha, 50, and nine of her members, while the body of the Oro worshiper has been deposited at a public morgue for autopsy.

Meanwhile, efforts to reach the Lagos State Police Spokesman, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, through calls and texts proved abortive at the time of filing this report.