Holy Crime: Church Pastor Arrested And Paraded For Robbery, Abduction Of Baby In Owerri (Photo)

The operatives of the Nigerian Police from the Imo State command on Thursday paraded a church Pastor for involvement in armed robbery and kidnap of a baby boy. 

 

The suspects

 

Pastor Ifeanyi Nwachukwu of the Live by Faith Ministry in Ogbaku, Mbaitoli local government area of Imo state, has been apprehended by the Police for alleged involvement in armed robbery and kidnap of a 17-month-old baby boy abducted during the robbery operation.

 

The suspect who was paraded alongside another 23-year-old suspect, Miracle Emenekwuru, were arrested at Orji, Owerri North local government area of the state in custody of the baby. 

 

The 52-year-old Pastor Nwachukwu, said that Kelechi Ogobiro, son to the godmother of his own child (Nwachukwu) came to him on Saturday at about 3am with a child which he claimed was his.

 

He explained that upon enquiry, Kelechi said he was the father of the child and that he just reclaimed the 17-month-old baby boy from his estranged girlfriend.

 

He further claimed ignorance of any wrongdoing saying he didn’t know the child was abducted during an armed robbery attack and was being used for kidnap bargain.

 

On his part, Miracle said he was just a neighbour to Pastor Nwachukwu, who occasionally came into the flat. Miracle admitted that he overheard Kelechi making what he described as strange calls but did not suspect anything.

 

The Imo State Police Deputy Public Relations Officer, (DPPRO),IfyEzeudeogu, told newsmen that an armed robbery gang of four people broke into the apartment of Vivian Iberi along Christiana Hospital in Egbu and robbed her on Saturday, April 21 at about 2am.

 

The gang made away with cash, ATM cards, and their 17-month-old baby boy, Master Damian ChimdumebiOluwa.

 

Mother of the child, Vivian Iberi, explained that they also made away with the ATM card of her maid, through which they collected N627,000 ransom. According to her, after paying them N627,000 ransom, the gang demanded an extra N200,000 before release of the child. An action that made them report to the police.

 

The Assistant PPRO, Ezeudeogu said “the operatives of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (Federal SARS) acting on intelligence and constructive digital analysis swooped on the suspects at No 6 Maduwuba Avenue, Orji in Owerri North local government with the child”.

 

Ezeudeogu disclosed that three other suspects are currently on the run, adding that the police was on their trails and assured that they would be nabbed.