TB Joshua Rehabilitates Condemned Robber

The stunning of story of an armed robber condemned to die in the dungeons of Tunisia, and his incredible road to restitution and rehabilitation…

A Nigerian robber, who has been operating in Tunisia, where he resided, narrowly escaped being hanged by the country.

The Nigerian, who gave his name as Chuks Olisemeka from Isieluku Local Government Area in Delta State, narrated how he escaped the hangman’s noose after he was arrested for robbery in the country where he travelled to in search of greener pasture in 2000.

The 27-year old, who is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the Synagogue Church of All Nations, Lagos, said he was condemned to death in 2007 after he was found guilty of robbing and killing citizens of the country in various operations. Olisemeka, with scars all over his face, told P.M.News that when he finished his secondary education in Delta State, he decided to come to Lagos where he met a man called Chima. According to him, “after months of living with my friend, we travelled to Tunisia, but when we got to the country, we were stuck. So we stayed back to get some money before moving on.”

In Tunisia, he said, they came across another Nigerian, who accommodated them and introduced them into drug business through which he (Olisemeka) earned $300 per day. Not satisfied with the pay and with the dwindling nature of the business, Olisemeka said he spoke with one of his customers named Jack who promised him a job, “but I didn’t know he was a big robber.” “My friend, Chima said we should leave Tunisia to Spain, but because Jack had promised me a job, I refused and he left alone.

“When I was introduced into robbery, Jack encouraged me. We were six, with another Nigerian boy and an Algerian girl. “Jack taught me how to use the gun by taking me to a desert every morning to train me on targeting,” he explained, adding that “I coped easily since I needed the money desperately. At the end of every operation, I will get $5,000 from Jack, who is an Italian. “There was a day we robbed a big company of $800,000 and Jack gave me $20,000 and this really motivated me,” he said.

However, luck ran out on him and his gang when they were ambushed in 2004. Narrating the incident, Olisemeka said the manager of a hotel informed them about a business woman from Holland who lodged in the hotel. Hear him: “Jack asked us to go there that day, because the woman would leave the country the next day. That morning, at 10 a.m. we moved, but only God knows how it happened. Two of us stayed downstairs, two others went upstairs. Me and a fellow Somali member of the gang went in to meet the woman. We had successfully robbed her of her possessions and were coming downstairs when we heard gun shots and the two members downstairs were killed on the spot. We started shooting sporadically and before we knew it, the other two, including the girl, were shot dead. We had to escape using a victim as cover. That was how we escaped.”

However, they were not free, as he said, immediately they zoomed off, they were chased by the police in five sport utility vehicles. “There was traffic regulation light before us, but due to the pressure from behind, we tried to beat the traffic and were knocked down by an oncoming truck. The police arrested and took us to the hospital, but my colleague died, while I was sentenced to death by hanging on 13 August, 2007,” he claimed.

Fortunately for him, on the day he was to die with four other condemned prisoners, his file was discovered missing. He remained in prison till 2008 when he was deported back to Nigeria through the Nigerian embassy in Tunisia. He said he thereafter spent a year and some months in the Ikoyi prison before he was released two months ago. Olisemeka said on his release, he told a prison official of his dream in which he was directed to join a particular church.

He said the officer assisted him with N500 after directing him to the Synagogue Church in Ikotun. Nicknamed Bomber, due to his effectiveness, Olisemeka, said while he was still active, he never felt any remorse after stealing or killing people. He also said he spent his money on women, gambling and clubbing. “Now I know that you cannot thrive while living on other people’s sweat. The youths should be patient and wait for God’s time. If I was patient, I would have become useful today,” he said. The Synagogue Church of All Nations has, however, offered him N150,000 to begin life as the church has also promised to see him through whatever he wanted to do.

By Eromosele Ebhomele

SOURCE: The PM News