Shepherd, Celestial Church of God, Iyanu Oluwa, Prophet Joseph Shola, has denied knowledge of a stolen car brought to his church by a suspect, Amos Daniel, who was arrested alongside seven other gang members last week by police operatives.
The police had arrested several gang members in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital. Among the suspects was Daniel, a 36-year-old driver, who confessed to stealing a Lexus car belonging to his employer. Daniel admitted to stealing the car four days after being employed as a driver, intending to use it for Uber and earn money to support his family.
“I took the car to my pastor to bless, intending to use it for Uber for a few days, so my family could eat,” Daniel had confessed.
When The Nation visited Shola about 4pm on Sunday, he said Daniel was not his church member but had visited occasionally for prayers due to job-related challenges.
“He told me he had challenges with his job and, therefore, would come from time to time for prayer,” Shola said.
The cleric said after a period of absence, Daniel suddenly returned with a car for dedication.
“When I didn’t see him again for a while, he came with a car for me to bless. He claimed that God had answered his prayers and requested a blessing for the vehicle, but I didn’t bless the car,” he explained.
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The cleric further stated that Daniel left the car in the church premises, claiming he needed to retrieve some documents for the car, only to return later with some police men, who informed him that the car was stolen.
On July 2, while the cleric sat outside the church, a police vehicle arrived. To their surprise, Daniel returned with the police, leading to the prophet’s brief arrest. He was released after proving his innocence and denying any involvement in the crime.
The church insisted that it had no prior knowledge of the car’s stolen status, and that Daniel was merely seeking spiritual help in his trying momsents.