More Photos: Pope Francis baptises Nigerian ‘migrant hero’ who intercepted an Italian thief

Many pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square yesterday for an Easter mass led by Pope Francis, who on the previous night, baptised eight people, including a man known in Italy as the “migrant hero”, Nigerian John Francesco Ogah.

Ogah, 31, was praised after he intercepted another man attempting to rob a supermarket in Rome’s Centocelle neighbourhood on September 26, 2017.


According to Italian news reports, Ogah had been begging for spare change outside the Carrefour market when a masked thief, armed with a meat cleaver, tried to make off with 400 euros ($636 Cdn) he had stolen from the cashiers.

Security cameras captured his courageous next steps: With nothing more than his  bare hands, Ogah confronted the thief, wrested the cleaver away and held him by the collar until police arrived, after the man fell from his attempted getaway motorcycle.

Ogah, who did not have permission to stay in Italy, then left the scene, fearing it would be discovered he did not have documents, according to La Repubblica newspaper.

Police using footage from the surveillance cameras tracked him down and rewarded him by helping him get legal permission to stay in the country.


The police captain, who worked in the neighbourhood, stood at Ogah’s side as his godfather during Saturday night’s baptism.
The faithful attending Sunday’s service underwent heavy security checks to enter St. Peter’s Square.

Pope Francis opened the festivities with a Tweet to his global flock: “Our faith is born on Easter morning: Jesus is alive!”