Metro

Man Kills Pastor Inside Osun Church

Published

2 years ago

February 27, 2024

A pastor in charge of Celestial Church of Christ, Grace of Comfort Parish, Omitoto, in Osun State, Moris Fadehan, has been reported to have been murdered inside his church by one of his assistants, Lekan Ogundipe.

According to sources, the suspect drew the attention of the people to the presence of the partly burnt remains of the pastor inside the church on Monday.

It was gathered that Ogundipe, after committing the act, ran to the house of the founder of the church, whose name could not be immediately ascertained, and told him that fire was burning the pastor.

It was also learnt that a resident of Omitoto where the church is located was also told by Ogundipe that fire was burning the pastor and upon arriving at the scene, observed blood on the dress of the suspect, and drew the attention of the founder of the church to his observation.

It was also gathered that the same man called the police, whose operatives deployed to the scene, and subsequently arrested the suspect.

It was not immediately clear the issues between Ogundipe and Fadehan that could have led to the murder of the deceased.

But a source close to the deceased, who does not want to be mentioned for security sake said Fadehan had retrieved keys to the church from the suspect, after he assaulted a prophetess, following undisclosed differences last week Wednesday.

He said, “Assault on the prophetess occurred last week Wednesday. The prophetess was in the church and Lekan (Ogundipe) came around and met her. They had a disagreement. Lekan eventually assaulted the woman. He bit her and that got the shepherd angry.

“Because of the way he acted, the pastor retrieved church keys from him. This last Sunday, there was a crisis in the church that almost disrupted the service. Lekan’s matter was also part of the issues that caused the crisis.

“But on Monday, when the pastor arrived at the church, he was praying at the feet of the altar when someone pounced on him and attempted to cover his face with clothes. That led to a tussle. Pastor struggled to push the attacker away and in the process, he got to know it was Lekan that attacked him.

“While that was on, Lekan reportedly picked up a screwdriver and hit it against the pastor on the face, killing him on the spot. To cover his track, he dragged the body towards the generator, poured petrol on him and set him ablaze. Unfortunately for him, he didn’t cover his track well.

“After killing the man, he ran to the residence of the founder of the church and told him that fire was burning the pastor in the church. He also raised the alarm in the neighborhood that fire had killed the pastor inside the church.

“But one of the those that arrived at the scene early observed blood on Ogundipe’s dress. The man also observed a mark of violence around his neck region. The man and the founder then tricked the suspect and kept him in a vehicle and when the police operatives arrived, they handed him over to them.”

When contacted on Tuesday, Osun Police Command Public Relations Officer, Yemisi Opalola, confirmed the incident, adding that the command has commenced investigation into the matter.

She said, “At about 10:15 am on Monday, one Moris Fadehan aged 65 years of Grace of Comfort Oke Odo, Omitoto, Ile-Ife, was killed by one Lekan, who is also a member of the church. Upon arrival, his body was found in a pool of blood. Marks of violence were also discovered on the body of the deceased.

“The suspect was arrested at the scene of the crime. Remains of the deceased were deposited at the OAUTHC morgue for autopsy.”

PUNCH

Metro

Two Brothers Miraculously Escape From Kidnappers’ Den In Edo

Published

1 day ago

November 10, 2025

Editor

Two brothers, identified as Isaac and Victor Olayere, who were kidnapped on November 8 along Adughe and Imoga Road have miraculously escaped from kidnappers’ den.

The two brothers were taken into the bush as soon as they were kidnapped, throwing Uma/Imoga community into confusion, as the kidnappers demanded N22 million ransom.

While the community was still at a loss over how to raise the ransom, the victims called their father with an unknown number, telling him they had escaped from the kidnappers den.

The Okpahi of Imoga Kingdom, Oba Patrick Obajoye revealed this during a telephone interview.

He called on the authorities to come to the rescue of Imoga, a town he said, shares border with Ondo and Kogi, thereby making it prone to kidnapping activities.

He said, “The two brothers were kidnapped on November 8 along Adughe and Imoga Road and were taken into the bush.

“Later, the kidnappers reached out to the family and demanded a ransom of N22 million, throwing the ancient community of Uma/Imoga in Akoko Edo Local Government Area, Edo State.

“I swiftly reported the incident to the Ibillo Police Station with the hope that the rescue effort will lead to the release of the brothers.

“It was said that somehow, the kidnappers suddenly went into a deep slumber in the forest, enabling their victims to escape. They were found by the vigilante of Adughe, a neighbouring community in Kogi that speaks the same Okpameri language with Uma/Imoga in Akoko Edo.

“The vigilantes called Imoga people and the youth mobilised and entered the forest, but they could not see the kidnappers who had woken up after their captives had escaped and fled.

He noted that the activities of kidnappers and armed herders have become a major problem in the community, urging the authorities to create a police post in the area.

He added, “We need police presence in Imoga. If a police post is created here, the officers will patrol the community which will give the resident rest of mind.

“Imoga is the largest village in Akoko Edo, particularly in terms of land mass, into which many herders have entered en masse. It is the link between Edo State and the northern part of the country.”

Metro

NDLEA Arrests 39 Suspects With 2,477.59kg In Edo

Published

1 day ago

November 10, 2025

Editor

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Edo State Command, have arrested thirty-nine (39) suspected drug traffickers with 2,477.59 Kg of narcotic drugs.

Mitchell Ofoyeju, state commander of the NDLEA made this known in a statement titled: operational scorecard for October 2025, which he made available to newsmen in Benin on Monday.

According to the statement, the suspects consist of twenty-seven (27) males and twelve (12) females.

The statement added that, within the period under review, three cannabis sativa farms measuring 6.711192 hectares with an estimated yield of 16,777.98 kg were also destroyed.

A breakdown of the total 2,477.59 kg of seized drugs indicates that Cannabis Sativa 2,476.87 kg; Tramadol 0.3575 kg; Nitrazepam 0.068 kg; Bromazepam 0.8141 kg; Diazepam 0.084 kg; Swinol 0.0036 kg; Danabol (Molly) 0.013 kg; Methamphetamine (abandoned) 0.0465 kg and Codeine Syrup 0.1 litre.

According to the statement, three cannabis farms located in the Ugbodo Forest of Ovia North East Local Government Area, covering an area of 6.71 hectares, with an estimated yield of 16,777.98 kg of illegal crops, were eliminated.

The command’s prosecution unit also made significant strides in the ongoing fight against drug trafficking.

“October saw the conviction of eleven individuals involved in drug-related offences and eleven new cases charged in the courts. Currently, there are 121 pending cases at the Federal High Court in Benin City.

“Our commitment remains steadfast as we continue to enforce the law, educate members of the public, and rehabilitate affected individuals who have problems using drugs.

“The fight against drug trafficking is relentless, and those who continue to engage in this illegal trade will face not only heightened enforcement but also stiffer penalties,” the statement reads.

Metro

Police Rescue Stolen Boy, Arrest Six Over Child Trafficking In Anambra

Published

1 day ago

November 10, 2025

Editor

The Anambra State Police Command has rescued a three-year-old boy who was stolen in the state and arrested six members of a child-stealing and trafficking syndicate operating across Anambra, Enugu, and Lagos states.

A statement by the Command’s spokesperson, Tochukwu Ikenga, said that on September 4, following a petition from the victim, operatives attached to the Gender Unit of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Awka, began an investigation into the case.

Ikenga explained that the petition detailed how the complainant’s daughter had left her three-year-old son in the care of one Samuel Ibe of Umusiome, Nkpor Uno, while she briefly went to her shop.

“On her return, both the child and the said Samuel were missing. Swift investigative actions by the operatives led to the arrest of the said Samuel Ibe. His confessional statement subsequently led to the arrest of his mother, Agatha Ejeweh, 35, and his younger brother, Ejeweh Chigozie Chidera, 15,” he said.

He further disclosed that operatives extended their investigation to Enugu State, where one Angela Eze, 30, was apprehended for collaborating with Juliet Onah to facilitate the transfer of the stolen child to Lagos.

“Acting on credible intelligence, the operatives proceeded to Lagos State, where a suspect, China Cosmas, was arrested and the stolen child was successfully rescued. The child has since been reunited with his family in good health,” Ikenga added.

He confirmed that the suspects involved in the crime are currently in custody and will be charged in court upon completion of investigations.

Ikenga reiterated the Command’s commitment to protecting lives and property, warning that criminal elements should not consider Anambra State a safe haven for any form of criminal enterprise.