A fake Army Captain, Monday Akawu,who specialized in stealing musical instruments from churches,has given a graphic account of how he burgled sixteen churches in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja and Nasarrawa state.
He also said most of the churches he robbed include The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) and Mountain of Fire Ministries (MFM).
He gave the confession was paraded by the Nigeria Police Force alongside his accomplice, Joseph Orazulike, 35 years of EFAB Estate Maraba, Karu who is a regular buyer of those stolen items.
He said he usually dressed in Army uniform to beat security checks after each robbery.
He added:”I am here because I stole from the church. I have so far stolen from sixteen churches which includes Mountain of Fire and Redeemed Church of God.When I break into church, my boss taught me to bring those instruments out while a vehicle comes with Nigeria Army uniforms; I now change into the uniform in order to bypass security on the road.
“I usually sell each piano keyboard between 60,000 to 90,000 naira depending on how neat they are.”
Monday is said to be an ex-convict who was imprisoned at Kuja Prison over a rape case while Joseph was also arrested before for receiving stolen items.
Parading the suspects, CP Frank Mba, Force spokesperson said, the suspects have committed a “sacrilegious act” and thereby urged church leaders to provide “more security around their churches.”
The suspects, Akawu confessed that, he has participated in the burglary of at least 16 churches located in Nasarawa and some parts of Abuja.
Speaking with newsmen on some of the recent operations and investigative breakthroughs by operatives of the special Tactical squad in Abuja, CP Mba said, a total of 50 suspects comprising of 48 male and two females were arrested.
He said the suspects have been indicted for different offences ranging from murder, kidnapping, cattle rustling, armed robbery, car theft, illegal possessions of prohibited firearms, possession and distribution of illicit drugs among other offences established against them.
According to Mba, items recovered from the arrested suspects include: 26 assorted firearms, made up 13 AK 47 rifles, four soft machine guns, four locally made pistols, four dane guns among others.
Also recovered are 2, 701 live ammunition of AK 47, 20 live GPMG ammunition, 12 Piano Keyboard and other elotronic appliances stolen from churches.
Mba revealed that, investigations conducted showed how Monday Akawu, the principal suspect has had a long pathway with crime.
The suspect, he explained has come to the “end of the road as the force would do everything possible within the law to ensure that he spent the remaining years in jail.”
This is as he urged Churches in Abuja and across the country to ensure physical security in and around the churches as investigation with the suspects indicated clear that the suspects considered the churches vulnerable and weak targets because they believe that they are no guards or security of any sort provided.
“We encourage church operators and leaders not just to provide human guards but also install cameras in their churches and ensure sufficient lighting in and around your churches.
“In addition, we are also calling on all church leaders in and around Abuja that might have been affected in recent time to visit STS office with means of identification to recover their stolen items.
Meanwhile, three suspected kidnappers who are members of a 25-man gang involved in the kidnap of 126 Bethel Baptist School students in Kaduna were also paraded.
The suspects, Isiaka Lawal, 26, Muazu Abubakar, 27 and Adamu Bello, 27 were arrested following painstaking investigation by the Operatives.
According to Mba, “Muazu Abubakar did a surveillance of the Bethel School, understood the security architecture of the area and informed his syndicate members before the attack.”
He also stated that, because of active investigation that’s ongoing to track and arrest the remaining suspects, he would not like to speak much on the matter.
