Hoodlums invade church, flog pastor, destroy property

Hoodlums invade church, flog pastor, destroy property

There was pandemonium in parts of Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Sunday, as hoodlums invaded a church during service and flogged the presiding pastor and members of the church.

Apart from this, the hoodlums were said to have destroyed some of the properties of the church during the attack which left members scampering for safety.

The hoodlums, according to an eyewitness account, invaded the church, Christ Apostolic Church,  Pillar of Fire located around LA Primary School, Akure, and dealt with the pastor known as Pastor Arije.

They reportedly inflicted injuries on the pastor and members who attended the service that day.

The hoodlums, who invaded the area in motorcycles, were said to have carted away the offering of the day, while they also destroyed plastic chairs, wall clock, window glass and electrical appliances.

However, a call put through to the police was said to have led to the arrest of some of the hoodlums but were later rescued by a mob who stabbed a police with a broken bottle on the neck.

Men of the Police were said to have chased the hoodlums to Odopetu in Oke Aro where some of them were apprehended.

The hoodlums, were however, said to have mobilised to rescue their arrested colleagues during which they attacked the police and wounded one of them, following which they took away their arrested friends.

It was, however, gathered that the attack might not be unconnected with a misunderstanding between the pastor and another pastor in the area.

Some people in the area alleged that the attack might have been masterminded based on the rivalry between the two pastors.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Wole Ogodo, who confirmed the incident, said details of the incident was still sketchy since the incident happened at the weekend.

Source: Tribune