Pastor vanishes with phones and money of worshippers after crusade

Owen Abraham, a Gambian pastor, has been accused of stealing 52 phones, money and other valuables belonging to worshippers who attended a crusade he organized in Ibadan, Nigeria.

The event, which was held in the Agbowo area of Ibadan, was reportedly attended by several people who believed that God had led Abraham to come to the town from Gambia.

The alleged theft victims claimed that the pastor had lured them into three days of fasting and prayer, only to disappear on the last day of the crusade.

All efforts to reach the Pastor had reportedly been unsuccessful so far.

According to NAN, on the event’s last day, the pastor told the attendees that the Holy Spirit had directed him to ask them to submit their phones, money, and other valuables. Abraham was then said to have fled with the items.

A widow identified as Mrs. Grace Akintola stated that many widows went to the crusade after Abraham promised to distribute a bag of rice and money to each of them and empower students with scholarships.

She said: “The pastor approached an Igbo lady in our area to assist him to gather widows and students, saying he wanted to help us.

“Someone in my area invited me for the crusade. He wore pastor regalia. He said he will buy a house for one of us and that the house will be fully furnished.

“He promised some people that attended the crusade money. Even politicians cannot give out such amounts he promised.

“On the last day of the crusade, he sold a bottle of water for us at the rate of N4,800. He said perfume is inside the bottle water. Many people paid for the water.”

Another victim, a University of Ibadan (UI) student, said that the evangelist took their phones “to keep it away from them and concentrate on the prayers.” Unknowingly, it was a ruse to get our possessions.”

“He said no phone should ring, that was why he collected all the phones. In fact, a lady stood up and wanted to take his photographs but he seized the phone from her.

“On the last day of the crusade, he said he wanted to go and rest at the hotel where he lodged. He later said he wanted to go and eat at UI; we don’t know how he escaped with our belongings.

“As a man of God, we respected him a lot, we didn’t know that he wanted to use the name of God to dupe us.”