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About 2 feared dead and 40 injured as gun men invade church in Ibadan

Published

11 years ago

March 3, 2014

At least six robbers laid siege on the Vine Branch Church, Mokola
Ibadan today, killing two policemen and potentially losing two of their
own men to fatal gun wounds in a failed attempt to steal the church’s
Sunday service offering.
According to a member of the congregation who spoke anonymously
with SaharaReporters, the robbers arrived at the church — located
on No 1, Olubadan Palace Road, Off Queen Elizabeth Road — at
exactly 12:15pm in a Black Toyota Corolla car. Dressed in black
suits and white shirts, the gunmen caught the policemen on duty
unawares, as they were mistaken for church worshippers.
“The robbers arrived at exactly 12:15pm, some 15 minutes to the end of
the second service”, said the source, who sat by the window and
consequently watched the whole shock unfold.
“The policemen attempted to resist but two of them were killed
instantly, as they were unprepared for that sort of daredevil
confrontation in a church and on a Sunday. Six of the robbers entered
the church, and there is a possibility that few others remained outside”.
He added that notwithstanding the killing of two of their colleagues,
the other policemen fought back gallantly and shot two of the robbers.
“I saw the robbers drag their wounded fellows out of the church when
they could not lay hands on the office, and when they got an alert that
police reinforcement was coming”, he continued.
“The two robbers who were shot, there is no chance that any of them
would survive. They were still breathing when they were being
dragged into the Toyota Corolla to escape, but they were very
seriously injured. The robbers also rained bullets on the police van in
the church. They shot so many times that after they escaped, we were
freely picking bullets from the floor”.
The source also said that once the six robbers gained entry into the
church, they shot indiscriminately, causing pandemonium that resulted
into all manners of bodily injuries to more than 40 congregators.
“The church has five exit points, and these robbers came in through
three. This meant that more than 1,000 worshippers had to scuttle for
only two doors”, he continued.
“No one was hit by a bullet, but there was a stampede. Many people
tripped. Some others were suffocated, and they fainted. Some
sustained bruises, others sustained sprains. I was lucky only to have
sustained minor bruises and sprained my leg, and I’m sure they heal
fast”.
The more-than-40 injured worshippers were rushed to the hospital
adjacent to the church, which is owned by Pastor of the church, Sola
Kolade and his wife, who are both medical doctors.