Why I Left Preaching For Robbery – Suspect Confesses

Twenty-six-year old Nsika Akpan was a man of God. He preached His word with fervent zeal. But that was when he was still in God’s vineyard. The once preacher threw away the Bible and replaced it with guns. Akpan, now in police custody for armed robbery was quoted to have said that  he gave his life to God after a neighbour preached to him and invited him to their church. He had joined the church drama group and embarked on evangelism and won so many souls for God.

But for reasons he could not fathom, he later took to crime. Asked why he abandoned God, Akpan bowed his head down for several minutes as he fought tears. In an emotional-laden voice, he said: “I left God and the church because my neighbour who took me to the church became too jealous of me. I’m, however, suffering today in police custody because God is angry with me and is punishing me.



“After I left God, a man of God told me that I would suffer for it. He said God would punish me. I didn’t believe him then, but now I do. If there is a second chance, I would reaffirm my faith in God.” Akpan was arrested alongside two other suspects, Nsidewu Akpan (24) and Friday Otu (25).

The three of them are all from Cross River State. After their arrest, the police recovered AK47 rifle from the gang. It was believed that the suspects killed the owner and made away with his gun. Also recovered from the suspects is one cut to size English double barrel gun.

It was learnt that the gang comprised of eight members, but police had been able to arrest the three of them, while the hunt for others continues. Detectives attached to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Ikeja, Lagos State also discovered that on February 1, about 7:30pm, the suspects stormed a building located at Old Ojo Road, Agboju, where they attacked one Agedo Sunday, a businessman. “We got information that Sunday had millions in his car.

When we attacked him, there was no money in his car.


He took us to his factory and we got just N800,000,” the suspects reportedly said. According to the police, the three suspects went for the operation on a motorcycle. After dispossessing the victim of his money at gunpoint, they went away with the man’s Liberty jeep. They later abandoned the vehicle along the road. On February 26, the suspects prepared for another operation, after using N200,000 from the N800,000 to rent a rifle.