The Resident Pastor of King of Kings Parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Mile-12, Lagos, Bolanle Ibrahim, was yesterday shot dead by a yet-to-be-identified gunmen.
According to reports, the incident occurred yesterday when the pastor was officiating at a child dedication.
The reports indicated that the gunmen tried to drag Ibrahim out of the church, just as another senior pastor in the church approached them and demanded what they wanted from him.
The senior pastor, whose name could not be identified as at time of filing in this report, was attacked and waded off before they returned to Pastor Ibrahim and killed him.
Reacting to the incident, an aunt to the deceased, Mrs. Justina Alebiosu, described the incident as a clear case of assassination.
She said: “Before they killed him, they showed him his picture to identify if he was actually the right person they came for. His death was an unfortunate one, we have lost a gentleman.
“It is true we were born as Muslims, but we converted to Christianity. My thinking is that my brother had business transaction with someone.
“I was told when the assailants wanted to drag him out of the pulpit where he was praying for women, who brought their children for dedication, he begged them to kill him there, and that was where he was eventually killed by the gunmen.”
She stated that the assailants also threatened to shoot any member of the church who tried to challenge them.
Also speaking, the distraught wife of the deceased, Mrs. Kudirat Ibrahim, dismissed the notion that her husband was a cultist, even as she stated that he was still on fasting when he was killed.
Reacting to the incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), CSP Muyiwa Adejobi, who confirmed the incident, said the police have launched a manhunt for the assailants.
According to Adejobi, “The assailants went for him in the church. We are investigating the case because we have a clue into the killing. The state Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, has directed the tactical commanders to handle the matter as expected. We will unravel the case.”
He added that the CP had taken steps to stem the activities of cultists at Mile 12 and Ketu areas of the state.
“From our observation, some of the waterways had been blocked due to the indiscriminate waste disposal by some residents. In some cases, some people have mounted structures (either residential or business) on water passages.”
Some of the areas visited by the governor were Oke-Ijetu, Alie community, Gbodofon community, Alekunwodo, GRA, Lameco among others.