Man Docked Over Failed Assassination Attempt On Lagos Pastor

CYRIACUS IZUEKWE

A 38-year old man, Ikechukwu Kalu has been arrested and charged before a Lagos court for his alleged involvement in a failed assassination attempt on Pastor Sunday Oluyemi of the Royal Peculiar Church, Jakande Estate, Isolo, Lagos.
P.M.EXPRESS gathered that five years ago, Pastor Oluyemi escaped death by a divine intervention after some men including Kalu reportedly invaded his church with the intention to eliminate him.
As at that time, Kalu pretended to be a worshiper in the church and was seeking prayer from Oluyemi for deliverance but in real fact he was there to monitor and execute an evil plot with his other suspects (still at large).
However, Abia State-born Kalu had a rethink as he negotiated with Oluyemi who paid him a certain amount of money as ransom after which he disappeared.

Last week, Kalu resurfaced at the church premises and sought to see Oluyemi for an undisclosed mission.
When he entered the office, Oluyemi immediately identified him and didn’t wait to hear anything from him as he quickly contacted the police at Ejigbo division who arrested the suspect.
At the station, Kalu confessed to the crime and revealed that he was paid to assassinate Oluyemi by a police officer he simply identified as John.
He narrated how they monitored Oluyemi within the church premises but later changed his mind not to kill him rather obtained some money from him and left.
He said immediately he got the money off Oluyemi that five years ago, he ran out of the country as the person who contacted him to assassinate the pastor and the suspects were after his life.
Kalu said he recently returned to the country and decided to meet with Oluyemi to confess and asked for forgiveness and not to harm him.
In his response, Pastor Oluyemi narrated how he was in his office and was informed that a visitor wanted to see him and he asked the church worker to allow him.
He said immediately he saw Kalu, he quickly recognised him as the one who came to him some years ago to extort him over the claim that he was sent to kill him.
He said he contacted the police who came and arrested him where he revealed so many other things about the incident.
At the station, the police also recovered from Kalu, a GTBank Plc ATM belonging to one Precious Okojin which he could not give satisfactory answer on how he got it.
The suspect was later brought and charged before  Ejigbo Magistrate’s court with attempted to murder and illegal possession of ATM suspected to have been stolen.
Kalu pleaded guilty on the issue of ATM and was sentenced to 35-day imprisonment without an option of fine.
On the issue of attempted murder, he pleaded not guilty.

The presiding Magistrate, Mrs J.O.E Oduyemi ordered him to be remanded in prison custody without granting him bail.
The court adjourned the matter till 27 February 2017 when the issue of granting him bail will be deliberated.