The Lagos state police command has arrested a pastor and charged in connection with the disappearance of a man in Lagos state.
On December 20, 2019, Olatunfe Anthony Oluwafemi, 29, a resident of No 27 Owode Street, Alapere in Ketu, was reported missing.
According to reports, he was sent on an errand on December 12, 2019, and has not been seen since then. Efforts made by his family to trace him proved abortive so they turned to the police for help a week later.
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Upon investigating starting, Olatunfe’s Itel phone was electronically analyzed and led to the arrest of the woman now using the phone, one Monsurat Gbadegeshin, 23.
In her statement, Monsurat said her fiancé Abiodun Abiola, 30, gave her the phone.
Police questioned Abiodun who said a man named Tolu Olurotimi, 20, sold the phone to him. He claimed he bought the phone from one Pastor Ejiro Ologonla, 45.
Pastor Ologonla, a Celestial Church Pastor based in Lagos, was arrested and was also found to be in possession of the missing man’s clothes.
Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Bala Elkana said: ” He said he was at Oniru beach for spiritual cleansing on that fateful day when he met the missing Olatunfe Anthony 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 one thousand five hundred Naira only.”
The police questioned everyone Pastor Ologonla mentioned and found out that the pastor is the last person to have seen the missing man.
Bala Elkana said: “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.
“It is not yet established whether the missing person is dead or still alive. But circumstantial evidence gathered so far, are strongly pointing towards the Pastor.
“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.
“There is no record showing that the Pastor reported the incident to any Police Station.”
DSP Elkana added that the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Yaba for further investigation and diligent prosecution.
