A Lagos pastor has been accused of hiring people to kill his female colleague for being more popular.
According to a report by The Nation, the pastor in charge of The Life House Ministry, Ojo Barracks, Ojo, Lagos, Pastor Benjamin Akinsanya was on Tuesday arraigned before an Igbosere Chief Magistrate’s Court for allegedly sponsoring a six-man gang of suspected assassins to kill a female pastor, Janet Ogunsola over spiritual popularity tussle.
Other defendants charged alongside the pastor whose church is located on Ifeoma Street, opposite Ojo Barracks, included Darlington Orji, 25, and liberty Elvis, 29.
The trial Magistrate, A.A. Famobiwo who ordered their remand said they should remain in custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCS) until they perfect their bail.
Prosecuting CSP C.C. Onwumere informed the court that the defendants committed the offence in October 2019 at 1, Adeleye Street, Ojo, Lagos.
The pastor and others are facing a five-count charge bothering on attempted murder and belonging to an unlawful society called Aiye cult confraternity.
Police counsel, CSP Onwumere C.C informed the court that the accused persons committed the offence in October, 2019 at 1, Adeleye Street, Ojo, Lagos.
Onwumere told the court that Pastor Akinsanya allegedly sponsored the two other defendants and others still at large, to help him kill the complainant for becoming more popular than him in church ministry in Ojo area of Lagos.
It was alleged that Akinsanya, 56, allegedly paid the suspects N500,000 to terminate the life of the female pastor in charge of Glorious Chapel Ministry located at 1, Adeleye Street, Ojo, to prevent her from being more popular spiritually than him in Ojo environs.
Police alleged that sometime in October, 2019, the suspects, with others still at large, invaded the residence of the complainant armed with guns to attempt to kill her.
It was alleged that when the defendants, could not find the complainant at home, they allegedly shot sporadically into her residence and left.
Following the development, the complainant sent a save-our-soul petition to the Inspector General of Police, (IGP) Mohammed Adamu.
The complainant, Pastor Ogunsola had stated that a woman came to her church to complain of problems and that she led her prayer warriors to pray for her and she left.
“After about a month, the woman came back to my church to give testimonies that the prayer she received in my church has solved her
problems.
“She also stated that she had been battling with the problems for the past eight years at Akinsanya’s Church without solution.
“When Akinsanya heard of the testimonies, he vowed to kill me because almighty God used me to solve the problem of his former church member”,Ogunsola stated.
Following the report, IGP Adamu directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP in charge of FSARS, Lagos, Durosimi Olatoye to hunt down the suspects.
Olatoye gave a marching order to his crack team led by Supol Garba Oseni to fish out the suspects anywhere they may be hiding.
And the police team arrested the pastor who later led the operatives to arrest two of the suspects while others managed to escape.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty.
Magistrate Famobiwo granted them bail in the sum of N100, 000 each with two sureties each in the like sum.
He adjourned the case until December 12.
