A pastor, Peter Iyasele, and two others have been arrested for allegedly hijacking a truck with N25m worth of goods in the Ijora area of Lagos, belonging to a company based in Apapa.
The pastor was arrested in Igando Lagos State by officers of The Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Adeniji Adele, Lagos.
The two other suspects ─ Anthony Ibiade and Amas Debar ─ were arrested in Ijora.
Items in the hijacked vehicle included 25 heavy duty outdoor airconditioners, the trio were arrested while trying to sell their booty.
Naijalog learnt that after the truck, which was initially heading for Ikeja, was hijacked by the suspects, the airconditioners were taken to a warehouse in Ibadan, Oyo State.
However, after the police swooped on the suspects, 22 units of the products were recovered, while one had been vandalised. The remaining two were said to have been sold.
It was gathered that two members of the syndicate ─ Oliver and another whose name had yet to be known ─ were still at large and were believed to have sold the two air conditioners.
The police said the suspects were experts in hijacking and diverting trucks containing electronic appliances and other household items.
In his statement to the police, the pastor said he was working as a transporter before he took to hijacking trucks. He added that the new job was to “source for funds to sustain my church.”
Iyasele, an indigene of Edo State, said in his statement that he heard a call from God, but there was no money to pursue it. Hence, he had to source for funds to be able “to survive in the ministry”.
Naijalog gathered that 38-year-old Debar and Ibiade, 53, were the first to be arrested by the police before they led detectives to the pastor.Our correspondent learnt that Iyasele’s church is situated along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.
Ibiade, in his own statement, confessed to the police that he was the one who arranged for the driver who took the hijacked truck from Lagos to the warehouse in Ibadan.