When residents of Aponrin in Agbowo, Ibadan, who had come to a crusade arranged by the pastor, Dr. Owen Abraham, allegedly fled with 52 Androids and iPhones, cash, and valuables, there was a mid-drama on Tuesday.
Some of the preacher’s victims claim that he claimed to have been guided by God to travel from the Gambia to Ibadan for the crusade.
On the final day of the five-day campaign, Abraham asserted that the Holy Spirit had told him to tell people to turn in their phones and valuables, but he afterward made off with them.
The victims claimed that on the final day of the crusade, Abraham, who allegedly tricked them into a three-day fast and prayer, was nowhere to be found and that all attempts to contact him had failed.
A victim, Mrs. Grace Akintola, said many widows went for the crusade because the Pastor promised to give each person a bag of rice and money, adding that Abraham also promised to grant students scholarships.
Mrs. Akintola, a widow, while recounting her ordeal said:” The Pastor approached an Igbo lady in our area to assist him to gather widows and students, he said he want to help us.
“Someone in my area invited me for the crusade, the crusader wear Pastor regalia, and he said he will buy a house for one of us, he said the house is fully furnished.
“He promised some people who attended the crusade money, even politicians can not give out such money he promised.
“On the last day of the crusade, he sold a bottle of water for us at the rate of N4,800. He said perfume was inside the bottle of water, many people paid for the water.”
Another victim, a student of the University of Ibadan, who pleaded anonymity, said the Pastor ordered them to fast for three days, adding that the evangelist collected their phones for safe-keeping to avoid distraction unknown to them that it was a trick to take their belongings.
“He said no phone should ring. That was why he collected all the phones, in fact, a lady stood up and wanted to snap him. He seized the phone from her.”
“On the last day of the crusade, he said he wanted to go and rest at the hotel where he lodged. He later said he wanted to go and eat at UI, we didn’t know how he escaped with our belongings.
“As a man of God, we respected him a lot. We didn’t know that he wanted to use the name of God to dupe us.”
After reporting the case at Bodija Police Station, Abraham has been declared wanted by residents in the area.
Posters bearing his name and pictures have been circulated within the area to track him down.
