Robbers Invade Ogun NUJ Secretariat

Burglars on Saturday night broke into the Apostolic Revival World Centre located within the premises of the Ogun State Secretariat of the Nigerian Union of Journalists and made away with musical equipment valued at millions of Naira.

The incident was the latest in a series of raids on the secretariat, which is a stone throw from the headquarters of the Mobile Police Force at Oke-Ilewo, Abeokuta, and shares a fence with the private residence of former Head of Interim National Government, Ernest Shonekan.

Recent victims of the burglars include a media consultancy firm, Steppingstone Communications, which lost two giant electricity generators in a space of two months.

Rolls of iron sheets worth millions of naira were also stolen when a shop in the premises was burgled, while food items, bottles of wine, a generating set, a giant-size storex tank, stablisers and a plasma television set were also removed from the popular Iwe Iroyin Food Canteen in the premises.

The bar in the secretariat had also lost several plasma television sets and assorted alcohol drinks to burglary, while the Ogun State NUJ, which owns the building, has recorded losses of its own, including plasma television sets, accessories of air-conditioners in offices, standing fans and chairs inside the conference hall.

In the latest raid on Saturday, the burglars went away with musical equipment and religious books after gaining access into the church by breaking some windows.

The Pastor of the church, Dele Adejuwon, informed our correspondent of the incident on Sunday.

Although the cleric prayed that God would touch the hearts of the bandits, Mr. Adejuwon said he wished that the law enforcement agents would catch them first.

He said the church had reported the break in at the Ibara police station, and that officers from the station had visited the scene.

When contacted, Chairman of the state chapter of the NUJ, Wole Shobunbi, also confirmed that the incident was reported to the police.

A man suspected to be an armed robber was recently apprehended at the centre, while allegedly attempting to rob lodgers at the NUJ guest house.

The suspect, whom the police identified as a serial robber, has been charged to court.

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