Pastor & 6 others arrested over robbery attack at Lagos Airport

Seven suspected members of a robbery gang that attacked the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA,Lagos, last month, killing two policemen and injuring several others, have been arrested by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad , Ikeja, Lagos.

Surprisingly, one of the suspects was discovered to be the general overseer of The way of Joy church located in Egbe area of Lagos.

Parading the suspects before newsmen yesterday, at the Command’s headquarters, Ikeja, the command’s boss, Mr Umar Manko, disclosed that they (suspects) were arrested following information obtained from the document of a member of the gang who was shot dead during the exchange of fire with the deceased policemen.

Operatives from SARs, led by the commander, Abba Kyari , he said, swung into action during which Pastor Ibikunle Olarewaju John was arrested in Egbe area. His confessional statement, Manko said, led to the arrest of six other members of the gang in Ikire, Osun, Ondo, Oyo and Ogun states, with the recovery of five AK 47 rifles, four dynamites, two locally-made pistols, sixty-four AK 47 riffles magazines, all loaded with 1920 live ammunition, a Toyota Sienna bus with an in-built space where the gang concealed its arms and ammunition.

Also recovered, were two masks and several charms buried in an iron box in the gang’s hideout inside a forest at Agoro village in Odogbolu local government area of Ogun state.

“ The suspects confessed to the armed robbery at the MMIA and several other deadly robberies in Lagos, Ondo and Kwara states. Part of the robberies they confessed to, were; the Oro First bank/Union bank robbery in Kwara state in January 2013; First bank/WEMA bank armed robbery in Osun state in December 2012 and the bullion van armed robbery attack at Odogbolu junction along Lagos/Ijebu-Ode expressway in January 2013. They also confessed to the robbery attack at the MMIA in February 2012, where about N600 million was carted away.