Hoodlums kill Lagos pastor

LAGOS state coordinator and second in command of the Lord Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministries,

Ijesha, Lagos, Pastor Chukwuemeka Akpokpo, has been shot dead by suspected assassins.

  The Pastor was trailed to the bank near the Apple junction, Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos State by the two suspected assassins operating in a commercial motorcycle who were said to have pumped bullets in him severally making, sure that he died before they zoomed off from the scene.

  A church member who simply identified himself as Mathew told Crime reporters that "Pastor Emeka was really assassinated by those who are eyeing his position. He was the Second in command in the Church and many see him as being too favoured by the General overseer of the Church, Pastor Lazarus Mouka. Many of them were jealous of the Pastor who was trusted by the GO".

  "In fact, the church did not believe it that the Pastor was actually dead. We kept him in the Church premises after the shooting from 12.30 to 8pm praying seriously that God should revive him because we loved him so much. He was later taken to his home town, near Umuahia, Abia state. Those who took him home left Lagos at about 8pm. They may still be on their way because Umuahia is a long distance from Lagos”.

  Mathew wants the Police not to conclude  that the Pastor was shot dead by armed robbers"Why I said so is that the Pastor offered all he had to the gunmen and they still went ahead to kill him. He was shot severally till he gave up the ghost.

  His killers made sure that they pumped enough bullets into his body and that he died before they left the scene. If it was armed robbery, the robbers would have collected the money and left in a hurry, but the killers made sure they remained till he finally died”

  Another Church member who claimed he saw Pastor Emeka few hours before he died said"We all went for crusade on Sunday and we slept together until the monday morning that he was killed.

  He had  premonition of his death as he was complaining of tiredness but I thought it was because of the crusade we went to in Ogun state as he was too busy and active during the crusade”.

  Police sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity said"We are not going to conclude that it was an armed robbery attack. We may not rule out assassination but on the other hand, it may be robbery attack and he may have recognised one of his attackers. We have to expand our findings”.