Police operatives arrest Pastor, nine others for alleged murder
The Lagos State Police Command Operatives have arrested a female pastor, Mercy Okocha, 50, of the Truth and Spirit Prophetic Church Oko-Oba Lagos alongside nine members for allegedly stoning an Oro worshiper, Akeem Agboola, 25, to death.
It was learned that the incident took place during the monthly vigil and prophetic hour at the church in Sanni Taiwo Lawal Street, Pooposhola in Oko-Oba.
The lynched traditionalist and others were said to have stormed the service and demanded its abrupt end since there was an announcement that there would be Oro.
The female pastor, it was gathered, tried explaining to them that they were conducting their vigil Inside the church and so, have not committed any offence but the Oro worshipers would have none of it.
They were said to have started beating some of the church members and attempted to set the premises ablaze which prompted some of them to flee the scene.
A witness said the church members defended themselves from the assault of the Oro worshipers, adding that no one died at the time the fight was on.
He said: “It was later that we heard one of them died. But what is the offence we committed for doing our thing inside the church?”
A police source who hinted on the development said they received a distress call around 6:30am that the church was about to be set ablaze.
“We rushed to the scene and discovered that there was a serious fight between Oro traditional worshipers and the church members. We were told that while the church was having its vigil the Oro worshipers were also having their sacrament.
“The Oro worshipers who felt that the church should not be robbing shoulders with them, ordered the church to stop their programme, the church refused, so there was fight between the two worshipers.
“During the fight, a traditional worshiper, Akeem Agboola, 25, was stoned to death by the church members. We arrested the Pastor of the church, Mercy Okocha, 50, and nine other church members, while the body of the Oro worshiper, was evacuated and deposited at a public morgue for autopsy.”
Police spokesman, SP Benjamin Hundeyin confirmed the incident, adding that an investigation had commenced.
