Mercy Okocha, the pastor of Truth and Spirit Prophetic Church, along with nine other church members, has been detained in connection with the death of Agboola Akeem, a 25-year-old worshipper of the Oro at Sanni Taiwo Lawal Street in the Oko Oba neighbourhood of Lagos State.
After Akeem was allegedly stabbed and died after a confrontation between churchgoers and traditional Oro worshipers, the culprits were detained.
Trouble reportedly began when church members who were also conducting a vigil were told to cease their service by Oro worshippers holding their night celebration at Oko Oba.
Unfortunately, church members vigorously opposed the edict, and the argument turned violent, creating a crisis that resulted in Akeem’s death by stoning.
Sequel to Akeem’s death, some youths in the community went berserk, attempting to set the church ablaze.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of Lagos State Police Command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, said at about 6.30am, the Divisional Police Officer in Oko Oba Police Station received a distress call that a church, Truth and Spirit Prophetic Church, located at No. 2, Sanni Taiwo Lawal Street, in Oko Oba, was about to be set ablaze by some irate youths in the community.
Based on the distress call, a team of police officers was mobilised to the scene.
Hundeyin explained that on getting to the scene, it was discovered that a group of traditionalists were performing their Oro sacrament in the area, while the church members were having a vigil. The Oro worshipers instructed the church members to stop their service and ensure pandemonium, resulting in Agboola Akeem’s death.
The deceased’s corpse has been evacuated to a public morgue for autopsy.
Meanwhile, the pastor, Mercy Okocha, and nine other church members have been arrested. The investigation is still in progress.