What was supposed to be a calm morning prayer session turned chaotic after a Ghanaian preacher, Pastor Isaac Anderson, was robbed while streaming live on Facebook in Walthamstow, London. Eyes Of Lagos reports,

The incident happened around 6:30am on Hoe Street when two masked men on bicycles suddenly targeted the pastor. At the time, Apostle Anderson was fully immersed in delivering his message and didn’t notice danger approaching.

A bus driver nearby attempted to alert him by honking repeatedly, but before he could react, one of the cyclists grabbed his brand-new iPhone 16 Pro Max right out of his hand.

Unluckily for the thieves, the device was still streaming, and their faces and voices were partly captured on camera.

In the viral footage, one of the robbers could be heard saying:

“Hey JP, he’s on TikTok. He’s on TikTok live bro… No fam. How do I end it? It’s on Facebook.”

The other quickly muttered: “Oh s**,”* while attempting to cover his face before ending the livestream.
Pastor Anderson Speaks Out

Recounting the scary encounter, Pastor Anderson said:

“All of a sudden, someone from behind on a bike just came and snatched my phone from my hands. It’s not easy. All my information was on it.”

He also used the opportunity to caution the public:

[b]“You have to be very careful when you’re going through your daily activities. Watch your phones and your important stuff – be careful, be careful, be careful. Thieves, burglars, and robbers are everywhere. This is London… you don’t know the people around you.”
[/b]
Rising Phone Theft in London

This robbery adds to the growing wave of mobile phone thefts in London. Reports indicate that over 70,000 smartphones were stolen in the city in 2024 alone, with iPhones being the top target.