World Why I robbed in church – Suspect by Joseph Anthony June 16, 2014 written by Joseph Anthony June 16, 2014 117 views 117 Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Lagos State Police Command. Explaining why he targeted churches for his robbery operations, Michael Gbotemi, an 18-year-old indigene of Ibadan, Oyo State said: “I rob Christians when they are doing vigil because I know that they fear the gun more than Muslims do.” Gbotemi said although he attended a Muslim primary school, he is a devout Christian. But he said he could not go to secondary school or the university in spite of being a brilliant pupil because his parents were very poor and he had no relations who could sponsor his education. He said: “I have been attending church services right from my childhood, and I know that Christians fear more than Muslims in violent situations because of the differences in their religious doctrines. They (Christians) are ready to part with their property or money instead of putting up resistance whenever they are attacked by armed robbers. It is one of the reasons that gave me the courage to rob in churches. Moreover, in the mosque, they don’t close their eyes when they are praying. “While I had successfully robbed people who were going to vigil or returning home from it, my first attempt at robbing people inside a church in Lagos ended in my arrest by the SARS, from where I was charged to court.” Speakig further on his background, Gbotemi said: “When I had nobody to sponsor my education, I started learning to become a motor mechanic. Initially, I found it difficult to get a workshop because before one is allowed to become an apprentice, there is a certain amount of money that one must pay the owner of the workshop. Unfortunately I could not afford even half the amount. So, for many months, I could not get a place to learn auto mechanic because of the financial problem. “But God answered my prayer one day when I met a man named Caleb who allowed me to start learning without paying the usual fees. Unfortunately, Caleb died after three years and I left to look for another source of livelihood pending when I would get a new place to continue my apprenticeship. “I went to Taraba State and started mixing sand and cement for bricklayers. I worked with one Baba Ahmed for two good months. He promised to be paying me N700 per day, but for the two months I worked with him, he did not pay me a dime. He deceived me by telling me that he wanted to help me save enough money from my earnings which I could use to complete my auto mechanic apprenticeship. At the end of the day, he did not give me a dime. He only bought me food to give me strenght to work for him. “His attitude frustrated me, and I decided to leave him and go to Lagos to find a way to survive. I had up to N7,000 in my pocket when I reached the Obalende Roundabout in Lagos. There were many auto mechanic workshops in Lagos, but my priority then was to find a place where I could sleep till I got enough money to rent a room. The place I found was under the bridge at the roundabout. There were more than 10 of us who were sleeping under the bridge. However, it was there that my journey into the world of crime that brought me to the SARS started. The first day, I slept comfortably, not knowing that the other boys were monitoring me. “When I woke up the first day, the first people I saw were women who were selling hot drinks and cigarettes, while some men hawked Indian hemp (marijuana). I don’t smoke, but I can drink anything drinkable. “My first baptism of fire in Obalende occurred on the second day when I woke up and discovered that the urchins under the bridge had stolen my money, while I was asleep. They took the money in my pocket and left only N200 there. That was the day I first tasted igbo (marijuana) to calm myself down. It was that experience that made me develop a mind for crime in order to survive. “I first called my mother and told her that I was in Obalende, Lagos and that thieves had stolen N2,500 I had on me, while I slept under the bridge at Obalende. As I was wandering about the neighbourhood, thinking of how to survive, I saw two children at a square playing with toy guns and learning karate. I sat down and started watching them. “As they kept their toy guns and started practising karate, I cleverly went to where they kept their toy guns, stole one and ran away. I went to my place under the bridge and slept with the gun. When I woke up, I started thinking of how to rob with the toy gun, and that was how going to rob in the church came to my mind. “Hunger took better part of me, and I made up my mind to attack a church in the Igbosere area of Lagos. On that fateful night, I scaled the fence of a church. I nearly broke my leg when I jumped into the compound. I found many people sleeping. One of them raised his head and looked at me as if to ask who are you, but seeing my demeanour, he quickly went back to sleep. “I used the opportunity to collect their mobile phones, i-pads and money. Unfortunately, another person who I did not know had been monitoring me since I entered the church building discovered that I was removing people’s money and phones. He started shouting. I pointed my gun at the one who attempted to hold me, and he let me go. “Unfortunately, when I got to the gate, I could not pass. Neither could I jump over the fence because they were everywhere. The noise woke everybody in the neighbourhood up, and they discovered that I was holding a toy gun. They rushed towards me and arrested me. They later handed me over to the Lion Building Police Station. It was a Thursday. “The following Monday, they transferred me to the SARS where I became a born-again Christian when some people came to preach the gospel in the cell. They told me how Jesus Christ loved me and died for me and the need to repent and chart a new course. I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal saviour and promised not to rob again in my life whether with a toy or real gun. “My plea is that the police should forgive me for committing armed robberies with a toy gun and that God should forgive me for committing a sacrilege. “If I am freed, I will go to Ibadan and start my mechanic work. I will not rob again. Take my picture. If I am ever arrested again with a toy or real gun, let them kill me. No sane person will go into the SARS’ cell and steal again after regaining his freedom. I will never rob again.” 0 comments 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail Joseph Anthony previous post One-year Fidau prayer for Mogaji holds today next post Keshi: Eagles ‘ll make Nigerians proud You may also like Russia Takes Control of Vuhledar After Two Years... October 2, 2024 Iranian Missile Strike on Israel Demonstrates Increased Capability... October 2, 2024 Israel Strengthens Military Presence Along Lebanon Border October 2, 2024 Israel Denies Entry to UN Secretary-General October 2, 2024 Ukrainian F-16 Crash Claims Pilot’s Life Amid Russian... August 29, 2024 Spain Pledges 500,000 Mpox Vaccines for Africa August 27, 2024 Strike on Kramatorsk Hotel in Ukraine Leaves Reuters... August 25, 2024 Telegram Founder Pavel Durov Arrested in France, Sparking... August 25, 2024 Ferry Carrying Fuel Sinks at Russian Port Following... 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