Olu Samuel, Lokoja
Hoodlums in the early hours of Saturday attacked New Life Gospel Church, Sarikinoma, a suburb of Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.
It was gathered that, the gunmen who came in the numbers attacked the church when some church elders converged to hold special prayers.
Confirming the incident, the resident Pastor of New Life Gospel Church, Sarikinoma, Pastor Olorunfemi Ojo, said they noticed that three unknown men were trying to force their way into Victory Primary School beside the church and were confronted before they left.
Explaining further, Pastor Ojo said, “shortly after, some unknown men numbering about fifteen alongside the three that came earlier invaded the Church by destroying the windows and forcing their way into the church building, hitting them with planks, broken bottles and stones, hurting the elderly men before they ran for their lives.
“Two of the church elders sustained several degrees of injury and have been rushed to an undisclosed hospital for treatment”.
Pastor Femi Ojo said that the attackers, after unleashing mayhem went away with some of the church properties, collected phones and cash leaving the church building with broken bottles , stones and planks and in shambles
The cleric noted that while they scamper for safety, he went to the road to seek help from the vigilante in the area but were told that they had just gone on a patrol.
“The men were later caught by vigilantes as they tried to carry out another round of robbery in the area. Some of the perpetrators have been nabbed while others are at large” he added.
Pastor Femi Ojo who appreciated the vigilante group, told our Correspondent that the Police has been contacted and had come to see the level of damage in the church.
The cleric, however, thanked the Nigerians Police for their prompt intervention while urging them to intensify efforts to bring the perpetrators to book.
When contacted, the Kogi State Police Public Relations Officer, SP William Aya said, his office has not been briefed about the incident by the Nigeria Police B division Lokoja.
He, however, promised to revert back to our Correspondent when he obtain information about the incident.