Lagos CP. Edgal Imohimi
Detectives attached to the Area K Police Command have arrested two members of the Oodua Peoples’ Congress and a lady identified as Mary, for torturing a prophet over a missing N80, 000 and recording the anguish.
The prophet, Moses Oloyede, 23, of Celestial Church of Christ, was alleged by Mary, to have stolen her N80, 000 after she invited him to her house for prayers.
Mary reportedly said that Oloyede wouldn’t have known where she concealed the money, if not that he used his spiritual powers to locate it.
In spite of Oloyede’s repeated denial that he didn’t take the money, Mary hired the OPC men and got them to strip him before tying his hands and legs and embarked on a series of torture.
Oloyede said that he was repeatedly slapped and punched and the men also used sticks and machetes to hit exposed parts of his body.
He explained that every time he uttered a denial, another round of torture would commence and while torturing the prophet, the OPC men recorded it.
Oloyede said that when he felt he was going to die, he told them that he stole the money and members of his church and father were brought to the scene to witness the torture and forced confession.
After he was released, he was asked to bail his seized phone with N4000, pay for his bail with N15, 000 and also to write a letter of undertaking that he would pay the missing N80, 000 before September 8, 2017.
The OPC men and Mary would have got away with their atrocious acts, but for the quick intervention of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal.
When Edgal first got wind of the incident, he alerted the Area K Police Commander, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Hope Okafor to investigate the case and arrest the suspects.
Working round the clock with his men, Okafor led in the arrest of two members of the OPC and Mary. Other members, who took part in the torture and recording game, bolted.
The abduction and subsequent torture of Oloyede occurred on September 3, at the Marogbo area of Badagry Lagos State.
Recalling the genesis of the incident, Oloyede said that a member in his church introduced him to Mary two years ago.
He stated that Mary had complained of not being able to secure a job after graduation from vocational school, where she studied photography and video coverage and after Oloyede prayed for Mary, she secured a job at Lekki.
Oloyede said that recently, Mary invited him to her place for prayer and when he got there, Mary seized the opportunity to invite other people to her apartment to meet the prophet for prayers and after series of prayers, he left for home.
Oloyede said: “To my surprise, four days after the prayer, I received a phone call from Mary. She accused me of stealing N80, 000, which she kept hidden in one of her bags.
I laughed over the accusation because she knew I couldn’t do such a thing. I went to church.
“Before I returned, Mary had called my mother and threatened her. She said my mother should pay the money on my behalf. I was in the church on September 3, when OPC members, hired by Mary, came to the church to pick me. They dragged me to their base at Morogbo. They started beating me. I was later detained in their cell.
“While in detention, they tied my legs and hands, beat me and demanded that I should confessed that I took the money. When I saw I was dying, I lied that I took the money.
They asked me to bail myself with N15, 000. When my church members couldn’t pay the bail money, the OPC men asked me to sign an undertaking that I would pay the N80, 000 and the N15, 000 before they released me.
“They collected N4, 000 from me, which they said was for the bail of my phone.
I later went to Area K Police Command to lodge a complaint on how I was tortured and forced to confess crime I didn’t commit. Two of the OPC members, including the leader and Mary were arrested.”
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Olarinde Famous-Cole, said that Edgal was aware of the case and has instructed that the case be transferred to the State Criminal Investigations Department, Panti, Yaba.
Efforts made to hear from the OPC leadership was futile as the OPC spokesman, Segun Akanni, did not pick his calls and did not respond to text messages.
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