There was as a mid drama on Tuesday when a pastor, Dr. Owen Abraham, allegedly absconded with 52 Android and iphones, money and other valuables belonging to residents of Aponrin in Agbowo, Ibadan, who came for a crusade organised by him.
Abraham, on the last day of the five-day crusade, claimed the Holy Spirit directed him to tell the people to submit their phones and valuables, only for him to abscond with them.
The victims said Abraham, who lured them into three-day fasting and prayer, was nowhere to be found on the last day of the crusade as all the efforts made to reach him yielded no result.
One of the victims, Mrs Grace Akintola, a widow, said many widows had gone for the crusade because the pastor promised to give each of them a bag of rice and money, adding that Abraham also promised to empower students with scholarship.
“Someone in my area invited me for the crusade. He wore pastor regalia. He said he will buy a house for one of us and that the house will be fully furnished.
“He promised some people that attended the crusade money. Even politicians cannot give out such amounts he promised.
“On the last day of the crusade, he sold a bottle of water for us at the rate of N4,800. He said perfume is inside the bottle water. Many people paid for the water.”
Another victim, a student of University of Ibadan (UI) who pleaded anonymity, said the pastor ordered them to fast for three days.
The student added that the evangelist collected their phones “so as to keep it away from them and focus on the prayers”. “Unknowingly, it was a trick to get our belongings,” the victim said.
“He said no phone should ring, that was why he collected all the phones. In fact, a lady stood up and wanted to take his photographs but he seized the phone from her.
“On the last day of the crusade, he said he wanted to go and rest at the hotel where he lodged. He later said he wanted to go and eat at UI; we don’t know how he escaped with our belongings.
“As a man of God, we respected him a lot, we didn’t know that he wanted to use the name of God to dupe us,” the student-victim added.
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