GORY IN AMERICA:
Nigerian Pastor, Oluwadayomisi Epenusi shot 15 Times in Indianapolis…Struggles his PURSE with Assailant at an apartment complex
*Deceased just recently moved to United States from Nigeria
* ‘He was holding a purse. He refused to let it go. They thought he had money in the purse, but he didn’t want to let it go’-Moshood Kafaru, room mate
* Wife, children friends of victim mourn
* ‘People with information to contact Crime Stoppers at 317-262-TIPS’-Indiana Police
BY GEORGE ELIJAH OTUMU/FOREIGN BUREAU CHIEF, UNITED STATES
HE WAS FULL OF BLOODSHED, SHOT 15 TIMES by unknown assailant in Indianapolis, capital of Indiana and got life expunged out of him through the violent attack that happened to this Nigerian pastor Oluwadayomisi Epenusi about 48 hours ago. He was killed at an apartment complex near 10th Street and I-465 on the city’s west side.
This 66 year old Nigerian pastor, easy-going, who would always attend church service, go to work and return home struggled to hold unto his purse against the repeated threats by the fugitive assailant to release his purse to him, thinking there was money in his purse.
Sources tell our correspondent that Epenusi did not let go of his purse since it contained his Photo driver’s license Identification, credit cards and apartment’s house keys.
It was gathered that his wife and children in Nigeria had been crying unstoppable since the sad news hit them that their benefactor already in America who had promised to work hard and helped them come to United States had been murdered close to his aprtment complex.
Also, friends and neighbors confirmed that Epenusi had only recently moved to Indiana from Nigeria where he worked as a pastor. A neighbors, Kristina Teague says they heard a series of gunshots early Saturday morning. She says: “I heard about 15 gunshots. It was nuts. It’s really sad because he was here sending money to his family.”
Teague called 911, but by the time police arrived the victim had run back to his apartment and a roommate then drove the bleeding man to Eskenazi Hospital where the 66-year-old died, unable to explain to his roommate what led up to the shooting.
The deceased roomnate, Moshood Kafaru who moved to the United States from Nigeria, as did the victim said “When Epenusi was on the way I asked him what happened and why he got shot, but the man couldn’t say nothing because he was still in pain.
Kafaru said: “He was just a nice person who would go to work and come home and go to church. He didn’t talk to nobody. He never bothered nobody. He was holding a purse. He refused to let it go. They thought he had money in the purse, but he didn’t want to let it go.”
Police don’t know for sure, but Kafaru believes the violence started as a robbery. A large group of Nigerians live in the apartment complex and those that knew Epenusi say he had been working hard to help his kids to move to the United States.
According to Kafaru: “They just got a visa. That why he was working, so his family can come over here. He was just an innocent man and it just upsets me that he’s gone just like that.”
Police in Indianapolis, capital of Indiana in the United States have launched a manhunt for the killer of a Nigerian pastor, Oluwadayomisi Epenusi, the 66 year old Nigerian who was shot to death at the weekend at an apartment complex near 10th Street and I-465 on the city’s west side.
Police have asked people with information to contact Crime Stoppers at 317-262-TIPS.
