Court remands teenagers over alleged murder of Redeemed church pastor

A magistrate court in Yaba has remanded two teenagers for the alleged murder of Babatunde Dada, a Lagos-based pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).

The court remanded Farouq Muhammed, 16, and Jamiu Kasali, 19, for 30 days.

Another two suspects, Mumuni Toheeb, 21, Mubarak Soliu, 20, were charged for receiving the deceased phone valued at N60,000.

The incident happened on December 2,2021 at the Chapel of Resurrection, 6th Avenue, Festac Town, where the deceased was the admin/account officer.

Mr Dada was stabbed to death inside the church by two teenagers who visited the church the Sunday before the incident for the first time and had given ‘their lives to Christ’.

They also dispossessed him of his personal belongings.

The magistrate, Linda Balogun, said that Mr Muhammed should be remanded at the special correctional centre for boys at Oregun while Mr Kasali be taken to the Ikoyi correctional centre.

However, Mr Toheeb and Mubarak who pleaded not guilty were granted bail in the sum of N200,000 with a surety each.

According to the magistrate, the sureties must be responsible, show proof of employment, source of income, and evidence of tax payment to the Lagos state, and have their addresses verified.

Ms Balogun adjourned the matter till February 14.

The teenagers had met with the head pastor after the church service and told him that they were stranded and needed a place to stay.

The deceased was then assigned to them to take care of their welfare and they were allowed to stay within the church premises.

According to the Punch newspaper, a family member, who is also a security expert, Abolarinwa Olatunbosun, said the deceased was killed after withdrawing money from a bank.

He said: “The pastor went to a bank to withdraw some money and went to rest on the first floor of the church. Two persons said to be new converts went to meet him upstairs, broke his head, and killed him.

============