Suspected armed robbers on Tuesday midnight invaded the priest’s house of the Saint Barnabas Cathedral, Anglican Communion located at Sabo-Oke area, Ilorin, Kwara State capital and carted away items worth millions of naira.

Punch Metro gathered that the robbery incident, which occurred at about 2:30am, was carried out by a two-man robbery gang on motorcycles, who was said to have pulled down the main gate of the two-storey building, moved upstairs and forcefully broke the two doors.

The victim of the attack, Reverend Isaiah Afolayan said the hoodlums, armed with sharp objects, broke into his apartment, located on the top floor of the two-storey building, threatening to kill his family members if they refused to cooperate with them.

He also said that his laptop; a fairly used MacBook Pro, worth N1.3 million, a TV set and his phone were stolen.

“We were sleeping when we suddenly saw him (one of the armed robbers) standing in our room with a sharp object in his hand. He was threatening to kill us if we make any noise and asking us to face down. I refused with a dialogue asking him, “Who are you? What are you doing here?”. He then picked up my system and ran away,” the cleric said.

Afolayan, who appeared visibly disturbed by the incident, also said that, “With what we have seen so far they are more than one but only one came in to our bedroom with a sharp object in his hand threatening to kill us.

“He sighted the MacBook laptop and was able to grab it and ran out and I followed but hit me back with the door gate to escape. As he ran out of the apartment, he fell along the way. This morning we are able to get a necklace where he fell and the case has been reported to the police officials.”

Also speaking, one of the Sabo Oke community leaders, Pastor Taiwo Ajibola, said that the robbers, who came on motorcycles were sighted by local security men in the community who, he said, flashed torchlight at them.

He said that the robbery case has been reported at the ‘A’ Division police station, Ilorin, adding that one police operative had come to inspect the place.

Police Public Relations Officer, Ajayi Okasanmi, who confirmed the incident was reported to the police said that police investigation had commenced on the incident.

It would be recalled that Sabo-Oke Ilupeju community in the Ilorin East Local Government Area of Kwara state had recently called for the provision of a security outpost in the community, as part of measures to address security challenges facing the community.

Speaking at a recent security summit organized by the community, chairman of the community, Elder Abiodun Afolabi, called for synergy between the community and security personnel (police and Civil Defence) in curbing crimes in the community.

Stakeholders in the security agencies such as Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) and the Nigeria Police were at the security summit.

They also stressed the need to employ private security personnel for the community and liaising with other security organizations for better cooperation.

They called for the cooperation of IBEDC authority in the adequate provision of power supply, especially at night among others.

The traditional head of the community, Magaji Aree II, Alhaji Abdulkadri Olorunnisomo, said the cooperation between the community and security agencies was paramount, adding that the security agents should always come to the aid of the community in times of need.