Fear as armed robbers attack ECOBANK at Mountain of Fire's Prayer City

It was a sacrilegious act as eight-man robbery gang on Thursday attacked a branch of Ecobank located in the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries’ Prayer City on the Magboro end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

Our correspondent, who visited the church, learnt that the incident occurred around 1.a.m., while the church was holding a vigil.

SHOWBIZPLUS in a report obtained from PUNCH Metro learnt that the robbers, who came into the church through the bush, used a ladder to climb into the premises of the bank.

The robbers were said to have beaten up the security guards on duty and shot one of them.

It was learnt that after they had subdued the guards, the robbers made for one of the Automated Teller Machines and attacked it.

It was learnt that a policeman on the church premises, who heard the gunshots, informed the Ibafo Police Division.

A police source said, “Around 1.20am, we received a distress call that a gang of robbers had entered MFM Prayer City and was robbing a bank. We rushed down to the scene and when the robbers saw us, they fired at us and later fled.

“We also responded minimally because a church service was ongoing and we did not want any stray bullet to hit anyone. The robbers used a ladder to climb to the other side of the fence and escaped through the bush

“Upon inspection of the bank, we observed that a part of the ATM had been melted with fire, but the robbers had not succeeded in removing any money. We recovered two gas cylinders, an iron cutter, a sledge hammer and screw drivers.”

Police investigations further revealed that the robbers had dropped their tools at the scene prior to the robbery.

“We learnt that the robbers did not come into the church through the main gate. They had dropped their tools at a spot prior to the robbery. So, when they were coming for the  robbery at midnight, they only brought their guns. The ladder they even used was got from a nearby construction site,” a police source said.

When our correspondent approached the Assembly Pastor of the church, Pastor Erhabor, for comments, he denied that there was any  robbery on the premises.

“As far as I know, nothing happened. There is nothing that happened that is worth publishing,” he said.

However, the Police Public Relations Officer, Ogun State Command, Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed the robbery to our correspondent on the telephone.

Adejobi said there was a reason to believe that the robbery was done through an insider’s collaboration.

He said, “There was a robbery at a bank at MFM Prayer City, one Inspector Austine Chukwurah led a team of policemen to the scene and foiled the robbery. One guard was shot and has been taken to the hospital.

 “We have observed that ATM robberies usually occur shortly after banks load the machines with money. We have a reason to believe that the robbers acted based on a tip-off.”

In a related development, operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Lagos State Police Command, have smashed a syndicate which specialised in breaking bank ATMs.

Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Umar Manko, said the gang was responsible for the breaking of an ATM at the Ayobo branch of Access Bank Plc, which left three policemen dead in November last year.

PUNCH Metro learnt that among those arrested were a pastor, Isiah Willie; a medical doctor, Tajudeen Dosunmu; a musician, Jonathan Nsirim; and a welder, Tairu Kareem.

It was learnt that the robbers were led by one Daniel Onuoha aka Find Money, who was  killed during a gun duel with the police.

Manko said, “On November 16, 2013, around 1am, a gang of robbers stormed Access Bank Plc, Ayobo branch to rob an ATM. Policemen from Ayobo Division, led by ASP Longus Amuzie, responded to a distress call, but they were ambushed by the robbers. Three policemen including Amuzie, were killed and their rifles stolen.

“On November 20, 2013, SARS commander, Abba Kyari, led a team of policemen to Ilasamaja, where the robbers were accosted and a gun battle ensued. Two of the robbers were killed.

“The operational base of the robbers was traced to a rented apartment at Ajibode Close, Iyana Ipaja, where four AK47 rifles, 19 AK47 magazines; police walkie talkie, 300 rounds of AK47 ammunition and eight G13 gas cylinders were recovered.”

Manko said on February 9, 2014, the house of one of the deceased robbers was searched and another seven AK47 rifles, two K2 rifles and one pump action rifle concealed in a plastic drum in the kitchen were recovered.

The suspects, who all confessed to the crime, said it was poverty that pushed them to robbery.