Church robbery: Court grants suspects N100,000 bail

An Ikeja Magistrate's court on Thursday
granted bail to eight armed robbery
suspects said to have been involved in a
church robbery in which phones and
money estimated at N2m was said to
have been stolen.
Among the suspects is the son of the
traditional ruler of Ojokoro Community,
31-year-old Adeola Taiwo.
Others are Agozie Ordu, Amidu Shittu,
David Bojuwola, Ismail Mufutau, Ahmed
Akinola, Moruf Bello and Mutiu
Adeosun.
The Magistrate, Mrs. Abimbola
Komolafe, granted the suspects bail in
the sum of N100, 000 with two sureties
in like sum.
PUNCH Metro had reported on Friday,
March 21, 2014 that about 15 armed
men had stormed the Christ Apostolic
Church at Alagbado, Lagos State.
Our correspondent had reported that
the men had struck around 2am while
the congregation was engrossed in a
prayer session during their monthly
vigil.
The pastor of the church, who was in
hiding, was said to have identified the
leader of the gang as the son of the
traditional ruler after Taiwo reportedly
pulled off his mask while arguing with a
member of the gang over a stolen
phone.
Community sources had told our
correspondent that after the church
robbery, the gang, notorious for their
ruthless operation, further robbed three
other streets.
Our correspondent gathered that after
one of them was arrested during the
church robbery, further investigations
led to the arrest of nine others.
PUNCH Metro had reported that some
high-powered influences had been
pressuring the police authorities to drop
the charges against the men.
The pastor was also said to have been
under pressure to re-write his
statement.
On Thursday, our correspondent noted
that eight suspects were brought before
the court.
They were arraigned on eight counts of
armed robbery.
The charge reads in part, "That you
Agozie Ordu, Adeola Taiwo, Amidu
Shittu, and others now at large on
February 22, 2014 at about 2.20am, at
C.A.C, Oke Alafia Area, of Ojokoro Lagos
in the Lagos Magisterial District, did
conspire among yourselves to commit
felony to wit; Armed Robbery and
thereby committed an offence
punishable under Section 297 of the
Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria,
2011.
"That you did rob various type of cell
phones, laptop, palmtops and cash sum
of N421, 105, total value of N2m,
property of Pastor Julius Odewale and
members of CAC, Oke Alafia and
thereby committed an offence
punishable under Section 295 of the
Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria,
2011."
The charge added that on March 10,
there was another robbery operation at
the Adura area, Ojokoro, in which
phones, laptops, a wedding ring, and
various sums of money were stolen
from 13 residents.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to
the charge.
They were represented by three
defence counsel who asked for their
bail.
The police prosecutor, Eranus Nnamonu,
did not oppose the application for bail.
He said, "We are not objecting to the
bail of the defendants. We have
numerous complainants in this case."
Only one of the fourteen complainants
was in court.
The magistrate said, "The defendants
are admitted to bail in the sum of N100,
000 with two sureties in like sum. The
sureties must be gainfully employed,
residents in Lagos with three years tax
clearance and their addresses verified."
The matter was adjourned till June 5,
2014.