Joy Anyim
The Lagos State Police Command is set to arraign a pastor of a white garment church, popularly known as Celestial Church, for the sudden disappearance of a 29-year-old man, Olatunfe Anthony Oluwafemi.
The pastor, identified as Ejiro Olagonla, was arrested for been in possession of the missing person’s cloth, shoe, wallet, and selling off his mobile phone to another for N1,500.
It was gathered that Oluwafemi, who lived with his immediate family at their No. 27 Owode Street, Alapere Ketu, resident, was last seen on February 12, 2020, after he had left home to run an errand at Ilupeju.
Two days after his sudden disappearance, and several efforts made to reach him on his mobile phone number proved abortive, his family had reported a case of a missing person to the police on February 20, 2020.
In the course of police investigation into the circumstances that surrounded the mysterious disappearance, Oluwafemi’s Itel phone was electronically analysed by forensic experts, which led to the arrest of the pastor, Ejiro Olagonla.
According to the Lagos Police Public Relations Officer, Elkana Bala, who issued a statement on the incident, on Sunday, Olagonla, had met the missing person at Oniru beach, where he made away with his belongings.
Bala said it is not yet established whether the missing person is dead or still alive, as circumstantial evidences gathered so far, are strongly pointing towards the Pastor.
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He said : “ The Itel phone of the missing person was electronically analysed by Police forensic experts and that led to the arrest of the user of the phone, one Monsurat Gbadegeshin, a 23-year-old lady. In her statement, she said her fiancé, Abiodun Abiola gave her the phone. That led the operatives to apprehend the 30-year-old Abiola. During questioning, Abiola said Tolu Olurotimi, 20, sold the phone to him, thereby leading the operatives to him.
“Rotimi said he bought the phone from one Pastor Ejiro Ologonla, aged 45, a Celestial Church Pastor from Delta State, but based in Lagos. During questioning, Pastor Olagonla said he was at Oniru beach for spiritual cleansing on that fateful day, when he met Oluwafemi. He stated that while he was at the beach, the missing person who appeared drunk, came in and started chasing people around. At a point he saw him climbing a fisherman boat. Later he saw the missing person pulling his clothes, shoes, dropped his phones and jumped into the sea.
“He claimed that he informed the security men on guard duty at the beach and also called a Police officer as well as one Princess Arike Oniru on phone to intimate them of the incident. That he finally picked up the victims clothes, shoes and phone and sold the phone to one Tolu Olurotimi for N1,500 only. The Oniru beach security guards, the Fishermen, the Princess and other witnesses mentioned were invited for questioning.
“The Fisherman stated that on that fateful day, the missing person came to the beach behaving as if he was drunk. That as he paddled the canoe to the sea, he was alerted that the man was hanging on the canoe. He brought him back and promised to give him fish. But when he came back the following day he did not see the man again. The Princess confirmed that the Pastor called her to inform her that somebody jumped into the sea and she advised him to report the incident to the nearest Police Station.
“The security guards on duty at the beach denied receiving a report of somebody jumping into the sea. The clothes and shoes of the missing person were found in possession of the Pastor. It is established that the missing person was actually at Oniru beach before his disappearance. The Pastor was the last person that had contact with the missing person. The Pastor did not just sell the phone belonging to the missing person, he also converted the money he found in the trouser of the missing person to his own use. ”
While stating that the Commissioner of Police Lagos State, CP Hakeem Odumosu, has ordered the immediate transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) Yaba, for further investigation and diligent prosecution, Bala revealed that there was no record showing that the Pastor reported the incident to any Police Station.
