Thief abducts four-year-old girl from C&S church

The church, Tope

The Cherubim and Seraphim Church on Ilufunmi Street, in the Ejigbo area of Lagos, has been unsettled after a yet-to-be-identified thief sneaked into the church and stole three “exotic’’ phones and abducted a four-year-old girl, Tope Ogundeyi.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the incident, which occurred on Wednesday at about 5am, had left every member of the church in apprehension.

It was gathered that the girl’s father, Olumide, who lived in the Ijoko, Sango area of Ogun State, had come to the church for service when the incident occured.

ADVERTISEMENT

It was gathered that Olumide also grew up in the church.

Our correspondent gathered that Olumide, his wife and his four children, along with a few members of the church, had slept inside mosquito nets in the church after a programme on Tuesday.

It was learnt that when the church members woke up on Wednesday, Olumide discovered that his daughter, Tope, was nowhere to be found. Also, his two phones placed under a pillow beside him, were gone.

Olumide was said to have raised the alarm after which the church members started looking for the four-year-old girl, who is the second child, without any success.

Another member of the church was said to have also raised the alarm that his phone had been stolen, which made the members conclude that a thief had sneaked into the church while everyone was asleep.

When our correspondent visited the church, it was learnt that the Ejigbo Police Division had stepped into the case, and had invited the pastor of the church, identified simply as Prophet Balogun, for questioning.

The girl’s father said he was just recovering from a sickness, and had come to the church for prayers.

He added that he believed in God that his daughter would return home safely.

He said, “I came from the Ijoko area to attend a programme in the church. I have not been sound in health. After the evening programme, we all slept in the church. The front door was locked, but one of the side doors was left open. I suspect that the intruder came in through that door.

“My two cell phones were taken; another church member also lost his phone. It was when I woke up at about 5am that I could not find Tope and my phones. I know she will come back home safely by the grace of God.’’

Tope’s brother told our correspondent that when he went to ease himself around 4am, he still saw his younger sister.

“Tope was still sleeping at that time. She is not old enough to go to the toilet alone,“ he added.

A member of the church, who did not want her name in print, said the girl’s whereabouts was a big worry to all of them.

She said, “For over 30 years that this church has been here, we have not recorded this kind of incident. The pastor was called for questioning by the police. But he is not involved in this in any way. He does not even sleep on the church premises. He heard about the incident, and he came to see what was the situation.

“We have not had any incident of such in this area for over 30 years that our church has existed here. It is the work of the devil, and we are going to overcome it.”

Our correspondent gathered on Sunday from the Ogundeyis that the girl had yet to be found.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Patricia Amadin, confirmed the incident.

She said the police were intensifying efforts to rescue the girl.

She said, “The family had come to the church for prayers, when the incident happened.