Essential Ndubuisi
A Nigerian pastor, Dr. Owen Abraham, has been accused of absconding with 52 smartphones, money, and other valuables belonging to attendees of a crusade he organized in the Agbowo area of Ibadan.
The three-day crusade allegedly attracted many widows and students who were promised various gifts and scholarships by the pastor. However, on the last day of the event, Abraham asked attendees to surrender their phones and valuables, claiming that the Holy Spirit had directed him to do so. He then disappeared, and all efforts to reach him have proven abortive.
One victim, Mrs. Grace Akintola, said that many widows attended the crusade because the pastor promised to give each person a bag of rice and money, in addition to scholarships for students. The pastor also sold a bottle of water for N4,800, claiming it contained perfume, and many people paid for it.
Another victim, a University of Ibadan student who wished to remain anonymous, said that the pastor ordered attendees to fast for three days and collected their phones to keep them focused on prayer. He claimed that it was a trick to steal their belongings.
Abraham has been declared wanted by the people in the area, who have circulated posters with his name and picture in an effort to track him down.
