The suspect, Mr Emmanuel allegedly broke into the St. Patrick Catholic Church in the Capital City, broke the offering box and took money worth N41, 465.00.
The Police went after him and arrested him, he was then arraigned before the Ebonyi State Magistrate Court on Thursday on two counts of Burglary and Stealing.
“That you Nwonu Emmanuel ‘m’ on the 11th day of July, 2020, at St. Patrick Catholic Church Kpirikpiri, Abakaliki in the Abakaliki Magisterial District did enter a building used for religious worship and stole the sum of Forty-One Thousand Four Hundred and Sixty-Five Naira (N45, 465.00), belonging to St. Patrick Catholic Church and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 415 of the Criminal Code Cap. 33, Vol. 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.
“That you Nwonu Emmanuel ‘m’ on the same date and place in the same aforesaid Magisterial District did willfully and unlawfully damaged one offering box and it’s padlock valued Fifteen Thousand Naira (N15,000.00) property of St. Patrick Catholic Church Kpirikpiri, Abakaliki and thereby committed an offense punishable under section 451 of Criminal Code Cap. 33, Vol. 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.”
However, the suspect who confessed to the crime blamed his act on suffering ever since he lost his job as a driver.
He said:
”I am really suffering and taking care of myself and my blind father has not been that easy for me. Currently, I have no place of my own to stay. I sleep under Spera-In-Deo flyover every night. I was a driver and I lost my job and since then, I have not found any other job to do.”
The Court led by Chief A.C Nwusulor, said the penalty for such a crime is seven years but has reduced his jail term to 12 months without a bail condition.
