One of three suspects arrested for hijacking and diverting a truck load of goods, Peter Iyesele, said he went into crime to raise money for the expansion of his church.

Peter Iyesele, who claimed to be a pastor, was one of the suspects arrested by police detectives attached to the Federal Anti-robbery Squad (FEDSARS) for allegedly diverting a truck load of split air conditioners valued at about N25 million.

The suspects were said to be members of a suspected four-man robbery gang, which specialises in hijacking cargo trucks in Lagos and Ogun states.

Iyasele was arrested at Igando area of the metropolis by a team of police detectives who had mounted surveillance for him. Others are Anthony Ibiade and Amas Debar.

A police source told Daily Trust that the suspects were arrested following a tip-off.

The source said based on the tip-off, the Commissioner of Police in charge of Federal SARS, Chris Ezike, mandated a team to authenticate the information.

In his confessional statement to the police, the self acclaimed pastor said: “My name is Peter Iyesele. I am 56-year-old and married with four children. I am a pastor and I have a church along Badagry expressway. I was arrested at Igando bus-stop for participating in the hijack and diversion of goods worth over N25 million. I was engaged in such operations for years but after a while, I stopped and invested the proceeds in transportation.”

The suspect said he left the gang nine years ago, when he gave his life to Christ.

“I made enough money from the series of operations I took part in, and I was doing well in my transportation business before I was duped by a woman,” he said.

He said that he went back into crime to raise enough money to expand his church, adding that if he had succeeded, he “would have used the proceeds to build a house for God.”

The Commissioner of Police in charge of Federal SARS, Chris Ezike, said it was the arrest of Amas Debar that led to the arrest of Anthony Ibiade and Peter Iyesele.

He added that the suspects hijacked the goods and transported it to their warehouse in Ibadan.

Ezike stated that though one of the suspects identified simply as Oliver, is presently on the run, those arrested have been charged to court.

•Text courtesy of Daily Trust. Photo shows Zone 2 AIG Umaru Manko.