Ondo Police parade ex-convict for blackmailing Pastors


A 44-year-old ex-convict, Mr. Festus Balogun, a.k.a smart, who has allegedly been blackmailing prominent men of God was yesterday paraded by men of Ondo State Police command.
Balogun, who claimed he was from Cotonuo in Republic of Benin was accused of releasing Compact Disk video titled “Asiri tu” meaning “secret exposed” where he allegedly lied that some pastors usually sent him on errand to kill, in order for them to gain spiritual power.

Those mentioned by the suspect in the said video include, Pastors Samson Oluwamodede of prayer Centre Church of God, Idanre road in Akure, Samuel Kayode Abiara of the General Evangelist of Christ Apostolic Church Worldwide and 10 others.
Balogun, who confessed to the crime, said he went into blackmailing men of God when he left prison in 2001/2002 because there was no one to guide him on what was good and bad.
The suspect, who claimed he had been living in Lagos at the age of three, appealed to the men of God to forgive him.
The foreigner said what he used to do was to attend revival or any programme organised by these pastors and from there he gets their details.
“After all these, I will produce a CD and give it to a marketer to sell for me but the marketer who promised to give me N300,000 refused to give me any money. The name of one of the marketers is Ola.
“I want to appeal to those men of God; it is devil’s work because I am only looking for things to cater for my feeding. I left Ikoyi maximum Prison 2001/2002 after being arrested with my gang for armed robbering and cultism. I spent four years in prison.
“After I left the prison, sometimes, I will do a conductor and bricklayer job just for my feeding but when I didn’t see anyone to guide me on what to do, I started producing this CD to blackmail men of God.
“I don’t know them, and they don’t know me. I am a preacher but I don’t have church. I used to attend their churches, where some men of God will invite me and at that programme I would blackmail these pastors that they normally send me to kill”.
The State Police Commissioner, Mike Ogbodu said the CD was sold within and outside the country.
Ogodu disclosed that the suspect was arrested through intelligent information, adding that his detective team was presently on the trail of the producer of the video.
One of Pastors indicted by the suspect, Pastor Samsom Oluwamodede said he got information about the CD through members of his church, adding that he had never for once had any contact with the suspect.
But he, however, said that he had forgiven Balogun and that he was also praying to God to forgive him.
The Police also paraded 20 other suspected criminals arrested for different offences.

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