Lord’s Chosen Church Pastor Robbed And Killed In Lagos

Pastor Chukwuemeka Okpokpo

On June 23, Monday, armed robbers shot dead Pastor Chukwuemeka Okpokpo of the Lord’s Chosen Church in the Ijesha area of Lagos.

The Punch reports that Okpokpo was driving one of the church’s buses when he was attacked by robbers at Alakoso Avenue.

When the incident happened the pastor was reportedly returning with N3 million collected from a bank at Apple Junction, FESTAC Town.

One of the residents, who claimed to be an eyewitness, said that the hoodlums had lurked in the area, waiting for the cleric.

“It was at about 3pm. The cleric was shot by armed robbers at Alakoso Avenue, off Ijesha bus stop. The attack and the killing of the pastor showed that it was based on information.

“They had been lurking around the area for a while, but no one suspected that anything was fishy. When they saw the church vehicle approaching, they stopped him and asked where the money was.

“The pastor replied, ‘Which money?’ They did not even wait for any explanation. One of the robbers went inside the vehicle and took the money. The other gang member then shot him in the head,” the eyewitness said.

Shocked residents were said to have rushed to the crime scene and raised the alarm discovering that the victim was wearing the Lord’s Chosen reflective jacket. Some residents reportedly alerted members of the church, who took the pastor to the church’s clinic at Ijesha, where he was confirmed dead.

Kenneth Nwosu, the Lagos state police public relations officer, confirmed the incident, adding that the case had been transferred to the department of criminal investigations in Yaba. The officer stressed that intensive efforts were being made to apprehend the gunmen.

Vanguard reports that church members crowded Okpokpo’s Iju home to commiserate with his family.

The family members said that Okpokpo’s body had been taken to his home town in Amizi, Ikwuano local government area of Umuahia of Abia state.