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Pastor arrested for stealing missing persons’ phone
A Celestial pastor Ejiro Ologonla has been arrested by Lagos State Police Command for being in possession of a missing persons belongings, revealing that he took the items after the victim disappeared.
The missing person, Olatunfe Anthony No 27 Owode Street, Alapere Ketu was last seen on December 10 when he was sent on an errand to Ilupeju. It was gathered that on the 12th of December 2019 at about 2 pm Police received a complaint that on the victim Olatunfe Anthony Oluwafemi of No 27 Owode Street, Alapere, Ketu who was sent on an errand to Ilupeju has not returned and his whereabouts remained unknown.
All efforts made by his family members to trace him were unsuccessful. The Itel phone of the missing person was electronically analyzed by Police forensic experts and that led to the arrest of the user of the phone, a 23-year old girl.
It was learned that Monsurat fiancé Abiodun Abiola gave her the phone. That led the operatives to apprehend the said Abiodun Abiola.
During questioning, Abiodun said one Tolu Olurotimi sold the phone to him, thereby leading the operatives to him. Tolu Rotimi said he bought the phone from Pastor Ejiro Ologonla. Suspects account According to Ologonla who hails from Delta State but based in Lagos, “I was at Oniru beach for spiritual cleansing on the 20th of December 2019 at about 10:30 am. On that fateful day, when I met the young man Olatunfe Anthony who is now missing Oluwafemi”.
Explaining further Ologonla said, “Oluwafemi appeared drunk, and was chasing people around. At a point, I saw him climbing a fisherman boat. Later I saw the missing person pulling his clothes and shoes. Later he dropped his phones and jumped into the sea.
I informed the security men on guard duty at the beach and also called a Police officer as well as one princess Arike Oniru on phone to intimate them of the incident. After which I picked up the victim’s clothes, shoes, and phone and sold the phone to one Tolu Olurotimi for one thousand five hundred naira only”.
However, the fishermen, the princess and other witnesses mentioned by the suspect Ejiro Ologonla were invited for questioning. The Fisherman stated that on that fateful day, the missing person came to the beach behaving as if he was drunk.
That as he paddled the canoe to the sea, he was alerted that the man was hanging on the canoe. He brought him back and promised to give him fish. But when he came back the following day he did not see the man again. The Princess confirmed that the Pastor called her to inform her that somebody jumped into the sea and she advised him to report the incident to the nearest Police Station.
The security guards on duty at the beach denied receiving a report of somebody jumping into the sea. The clothes and shoes of the missing person were found in possession of the Pastor.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson Lagos state police command DSP Bala Elkana said that It is established that the missing person was actually at Oniru beach before his disappearance. The Pastor was the last person that had contact with the missing person. It is not yet established whether the missing person is dead or still alive.
But circumstantial evidences gathered so far, are strongly pointing towards the Pastor. The Pastor did not just sell the phone belonging to the missing person, he also converted the money he found in the trouser of the missing person to his own use.
There is no record showing that the Pastor reported the incident to any Police Station. The Commissioner of Police Lagos State.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police Hakeem Odumosu has ordered the immediate transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Yaba for further investigation and diligent prosecution.
