By Promise Emmanuel.
Thursday, December 6th, about 2AM, some suspected assassins stormed the residence of the Director General, Government House to the Kogi State Government, Shaibu Oricha, climbing over his fence from a Church, Mount of Olive Assembly, which stands shoulder to shoulder with his building on a recently completed woofing roofing on Wednesday, whilst his house was attacked on Thursday, with the suspected assassins using the ladder used by the Church carpenters, laid on his fence, to climb into his compound.
The suspected assassins climbed over a ladder recently laid by Carpenters, working on the Church building. The Church has been operating with a canopy as roof, with the Pastor of the Church recently upgrading it to a wood-roofing as shown in the picture. Hon. Oricha and the Church have been neighbors for more than a year, living peacefully until the break-in into his house happened.
Trouble started when the hoodlums jumped into the compound, breaking the window protector (picture attached),which gave direct access to his wife’s room who was away at Abuja. He explained that he was in the other room listening to their chatter. With the voices searching through the house for his whereabouts. He was first unsuspecting, thinking it could have been his two armed security attachè patrolling the compound, however, he became alert as the vandalisation to gain access into his room started.
While he was unsure of what to do, it became apparent that his security might have been neutralized or held captive, or asleep. He kept praying in his mind. One of the suspected assassins opened the door to his room, however, he had placed himself at a corner that he was not seen. The person who gained access to his room would later retort, “but dem say him dey here na”, while another gang member called from the outside for them to leave. They would exit his building through his kitchen.
He stayed that way until about 4:30AM when the Muslim Prayer cries came on, which he felt might have distracted them to have left. Then he put a call across for security reinforcement, only for them to appear in his compound to find the security men attached to him, sleeping.
A rat has been smelt. How can security agents on duty be asleep for that long when a vandalism of that nature was ongoing? They claimed an egg was broken in his compound, which put them all asleep. He reported the case to the C- Division of The Nigerian Police, Lokoja before onward report to the Commissioner of Police, Kogi State for fear of his life and how his security was compromised.
Angle of the Pastor
Hon. Oricha invited the Pastor whom he charged to produce those carpenters that laid the ladder on his fence which gave the hoodlums easy access to his barb wired building. The Pastor refused. He was clearly adamant, this led to security agents storming the building to make arrests. He was arrested as well for the investigation process and have been granted bail.
They arrested the laborers working in the Church, requesting specifically that those carpenters be produced, to write a statement.
From his explanation, there is palpable tension, security wise, on the safety of most Government appointees in Kogi State.
He hinted that the cruel assassination of Yusuf, the Senior Special Assistant to the Kogi State Government on Culture, last month in Okene has thrown the air of suspicion open. The gruesome murder of Yusuf is still a fresh injury on everybody’s mind, for him to joke with issues such as this. He was particularly appalled that the only day he slept in his house after a long time was the day they struck. Unperturbed by any monetary robbery, he fears for his life.
The Pastor of the Church would later come to his house with other church members to broker peace as the case has been reported to the Police Force, which is conducting an investigation already.
When they entered into conversation, it was established that he does not have issues with the noise from the church building (confirmed by Ahammed Shabba, one of the peace brokers who also met with the Pastor face-face along with another witness), neither does he have issues with religious practices because his younger brother is a Pastor. He also comes from a family of mixed religions.
The major problem was the Pastor refusing to produce the carpenters. It would be nefarious for anyone to twist it into that angle.
Furthermore, when the knudgging of the building was completed, it was done by quacks in a way that it came too close to his building that if roofing sheets were placed, it would extend into his compound even when it rains. So he called the General Manager of the Town Planning and Urban Development Board, to ascertain grey areas surrounding the approval of the building because it was newly constructed. The GM disclosed to him that the building has no approval and they had been mapped as “illegal structure” for about a year ago for illegally citing of Church, although the Pastor explained that it was a temporary structure which would not come with any form of serious development on the long run.
Resolution Approach
The Pastor and his church members brokered a meeting for peace, which they begged the DG to withdraw the case from the Police Force. He however gave them three conditions on which first on the list was that they provided the carpenters and approval of the building plan. Later, he would find the information on social media, alleging victimization.
He also revealed that the Pastor before they prayed, made a passionate plea in an angle for him to let go of the case, which he opened up that he has issues with rent, including his children’s school fees which he has not paid and that his wife was being harassed for the sum of N4,000 Red Oil money which she was yet to pay her creditors. The DG demanded for his account details to put a support to the Pastor, but he would later twist the story that the DG wanted to bribe him to vacate the premises of his church building.
The DG however has a recording of the entire meeting to prove his innocence in court or anywhere the case is taken to.
The case is currently with the C-Division and would be taken over by the State Commissioner due to the dimension it is reaching. The efforts made by the Peace Building team to bring the Pastor and DG together for another meeting proved abortive as he said he was out of town to see his brother when a call was placed to him and that he may not be available.
This position is further opened to the Pastor to counter or collaborate. It is instructive for us to re-emphasize that this is not a religious issue as it is being painted.
Another call recently made to his phone by 4pm today was met with furiousity as he outrightly declined meeting with us, referring us to look for his lawyer to supply information we need.
We also put this out for him to refute. Recall that a recording of the meeting between the Pastor and DG is available for record purposes for the general members of the public.
Find attached pictures to corroborate the story.
