Police have smashed a syndicate, which specialized in hiring people to stage miracles in order to defraud his church members in Lagos State.

The state Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, on Wednesday disclosed this during a parade of suspected criminals at the state Police Command Headquarters, Ikeja.

Odumosu said six people, among the suspects, had been arrested in connection with the fake miracles.

The suspects are identified as Lawal Damilola (29), Makinde Folashade (49), Babayemi Joke (37), Precious Sunday (20), Victoria Emmanuel (42) and Gift Adams (42).

The suspects were alleged to have conspired with a cleric, identified as Pastor Elijah, to carry out the scam. The pastor is presently on the run.

It was learnt that the syndicate was conducting fake miracles in places like Festac Town, Airport Road and Ikoyi areas of the metropolis.

Elijah reportedly conspired with other suspects to hypnotize his church members and then dispossess them of their valuables.

Odumosu said that based on the strength of the information, six members of the syndicate had been arrested.

According to the commissioner, during interrogation, the suspects confessed that they received N3,000 each from the pastor to stage the fake miracles.

Meanwhile, a 32-year-old suspected gunrunner, Samule Uche, has been arrested by detectives attached to the Mafoluku Police Station.

Uche was said to have been arrested by the Operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), who were deployed to the scene after receiving information that the suspect was going to the area to sell guns to some armed robbers and kidnappers.

“It was based on the strength of the information, that the SARS operatives were immediately drafted to the area for close monitoring. Fortunately, the surveillance paid off as a young man alighted from a motorcycle, at Oshodi canal, armed with a black nylon bag, suspected to be filled with guns. He was immediately arrested and when the bag was searched, two English revolver pistols were recovered.

“The suspect confessed that he bought the pistol and planned to sell to a gang of armed robbers and kidnappers in the area at the rate of N250,000,” the commissioner said. (New Telegraph)

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