Court remands pastor for snatching cars at gunpoint

Adetunji, Ikeja Magistrates’ Courts.

A district pastor of a church in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, has been remanded by a Lagos Magistrate’s Court sitting in Ikeja.

The 37-year-old pastor, Adebambo Adetunji, was alleged to be one of the gang members, who robbed motorists at the Ojota Bus stop, between April and July, 2014.

Reporters learnt that Adetunji and other suspects, who were still on the run, were notorious for snatching cars and robbing victims of their valuables at gun point.

Our correspondent gathered that a Toyota Camry and a Mercedes Benz ML320 with number plates MUS 413 BH and LND 623 BF respectively, were diverted by the suspected robbers, who were said to have also used cutlasses in their operations.

While the Mercedes Benz car was said to be the property of one Boniface Joseph, who was robbed around 10.30pm on April 30, at the bus stop, one Oluwatoyin Badmus, was reportedly robbed of her   Toyota Camry around 6pm on July 6 at the same spot.

The police said Joseph also lost two phones and an IPad to the robbers, adding that valuables lost by the duo were worth N4.5m.

It was learnt that Adetunji was arrested by men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad led by SP Abba Kyari after Badmus had reported the attack to the police.

The prosecutor, Inspector Nurudeen Thomas, on Thursday, brought the suspect, who hails from Osun State, before the Magistrate, Mrs. M.O. Oshodi, on three counts bordering on armed robbery.

Oshodi, who was holding brief for Mrs. Dan Oni, refused to listen to the defendant’s plea and ordered that he be remanded pending the time the Directorate of Public Prosecutions would issue legal advice on the matter.

The charges read in part, “That you, Adebambo Adetunji and others now at large, on April 30, 2014 at about 10.30pm at Ojota Bus stop in the Lagos Magisterial District while armed with guns and cutlasses did rob one Mercedes Benz Jeep ML320 with registration number LND 623 BF valued N1, 850,000, IPad valued N80,000, Blackberry Bold 5 valued N30,000, Nokia E5 valued N26,000 and cash sum of N250,000 total value N2,236,000 property of one Boniface Joseph.

“That you, and others now at large on July 6, 2014 at about 5.30pm at Ojota Bus stop in the aforementioned magisterial district did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit; armed robbery.

“That you and others now at large on the same date, time and place in the aforesaid magisterial district while armed with guns and cutlasses did rob one Toyota Camry 2008 model with registration number MUS 413 BH valued N2.3m property of one Oluwatoyin Badmus.”

It was said that the offences contravened Section 5 (b) and were punishable under Section 1 (2) (a) (b) of the Robbery and Firearms Act, Cap. 398, Vol. XXII, Law of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990 and 2003 as amended.

Adetunji, who was clad in Ankara, burst into tears on hearing the charges.