How retired police chief shot pastor dead

Pastor Olusola Oluwatuyi, a prominent 52-year-old Lagos-based prophet of Celestial Church denomination, died on Tuesday shortly after he was allegedly shot by the retired police chief, (ACP) Charles Osho. The church leader died leaving behind his numerous wives and 32 children. Weekly Trust learned that the deceased and the retired police chief were close friends […]

Pastor Olusola Oluwatuyi, a prominent 52-year-old Lagos-based prophet of Celestial Church denomination, died on Tuesday shortly after he was allegedly shot by the retired police chief, (ACP) Charles Osho. The church leader died leaving behind his numerous wives and 32 children.

Weekly Trust learned that the deceased and the retired police chief were close friends and family members are wondering what could have gone wrong. Family sources said the late prophet, popularly known in the area as ‘Sola Messiah’ had been friends for over three decades within which the retired policeman usually visits the church particularly when the congregation needed financial support for one project or another.

Narrating the incident, a member of the church, Mr. Jide Oguntolu, explained that on that fateful day, the suspect came with three guns to the church premises but hid them under his native attire.  He said being a known and close associate of the deceased, nobody suspected that the ex-police chief was at the church that afternoon on a killing mission.

Oguntolu said “as at the time the suspect was with the late prophet in the latter’s office, there was another friend who was with them but the third person left the church after a while, leaving the suspect and the deceased discussing upstairs.”

The witness stressed that people around the church suddenly heard gunshots from the prophet’s office while the suspect came down from the office upstairs pretending nothing has happened. “His request for where to get a hospital nearby aroused suspicion that something serious had happened. I decided to take him to a nearby clinic and on getting there, he requested for a nurse to follow us to treat someone who is sick inside our church,” he narrated.

He said when the nurses at the clinic refused to follow them, the suspect became worried and he was confused of what next to do but they returned to the prophet’s office inside the church where the deceased was bleeding profusely and pleading that we should not allow him to die. “All this while, people within the church premises and the neighbourhood had known that Sola Messiah was the one shot earlier by the ex-police chief when we heard gunshots,” Oguntolu emphasized.

Another member of the church who witnessed the last minutes of the church leader, Mrs. Titilayo Awofisayo narrated that she was in the church when the suspect visited. “He is a popular personality before all members and visitors to this church. We know him as a close associate of our pastor because he usually donates money and other logistics to the church particularly during our yearly harvest anniversaries. But, one is totally confused about what could have led the respected gentleman to kill his friend,” the church member said.

Reacting to the death of their breadwinner, Taiwo  Oluwatuyi, the eldest daughter of the deceased informed Weekly Trust  that the retired policeman  is a long time friend of her father whom her family regarded as a ‘godfather’, an adviser and dependant at times of financial needs. Amidst sobs, Taiwo condemned the killing of her father by a close friend, saying “there is no-one to trust again.”

She said when the sad news got to the family of the deceased, members of her family including her mother rushed to the church where they found the lifeless body of their father in a pool of blood. “The ex-policeman shot him in the chest and the bullet came out through his back,” Taiwo explained.

She added that the family gathered from members of the church that they were around before their father died, that the suspect came with three guns to kill him. “We were told that my father struggled with him when he brought out the first gun to shoot him and the gun malfunctioned. However, he never knew that the suspect came with more than one gun until he brought out the second gun and shot him in the chest at close range,” she said.

When our correspondent visited the church premises, astonished members, people in the neighbourhood and friends of the deceased were seen discussing the incident, raining curses on the suspect. They described the late pastor as a quiet man who could not hurt a fly but wondered what could have led the suspect to attack his close associate with a gun.

Weekly Trust learnt that when the people discovered that the ex-policeman shot the pastor, they raised alarm and the suspect attempted to run away but was apprehended and handed over to the police at Meiran police station.

The police confirmed the incident but none of the officers around was ready to speak to the press, claiming that they are not competent enough. But, it was gathered that the suspect has been transferred to the state criminal investigation department, Panti, Yaba, for further investigations.

The church’s second-in-command, Superior Evangelist Ojelade Oludayo, described the killing as terrible and shocking and urged the police to investigate the murder thoroughly with a view to bring the suspect to book.

Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO), Mr. Frank Mba and the Commander of Area ‘G’, Mr. Mobolaji Odesanya, whose unit covers Meiran, confirmed the incident, saying the suspect has been transferred to the State C.I.D.