An Akure Magistrate's Court has handed a two-year prison sentence to a cleric, Friday Okeneji, for the theft of chemical substances valued at N130,000. The judgment was delivered by Magistrate Damilola Sekoni, who convicted Okeneji on charges of breaking and entering and theft. Along with the prison term, the magistrate also offered the convict the alternative of paying a fine of N100,000. Sekoni, while urging Okeneji to change his ways, advised him to embrace the true Christian values of hard work and prayerfulness as demonstrated by the New Testament Christians in the Bible. The convict, who pleaded guilty, cited a lack of livelihood and the need to raise funds for his mother's burial scheduled for August as reasons for his actions. The police reported that Okeneji, who serves as a presiding pastor at the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) in Iwaro Oka Akoko, Ondo State, committed the offense on July 2 in Iwaro Oka Akoko.
In a related incident, the Yobe State Police Command has apprehended a couple named Abdullahi Ibrahim and Khadija Ali for allegedly stealing a motorcycle belonging to a Muslim cleric in Fika Local Government Area of Yobe. According to DSP Dungus Abdulkarim, the command's spokesperson, Ibrahim (21) and Ali (20) approached the cleric on June 4 under the pretense of converting to Islam. They posed as Jude Emmanuel, a Birom man from Farar-Kasa in Barkin Ladi, Plateau State, and his wife, Peace Sunday. Accepted and converted to Islam, the couple was placed in the custody of the Chief Imam in Fika for guidance and teaching. However, on the third day, Abdullahi requested ashes from a thunderstrike spot to prepare a concoction for his ailments. Accompanied by the Imam's son on his motorcycle, they robbed him of the vehicle and fled.
The matter was reported to the Fika Divisional Police Headquarters, and efforts were made to swiftly apprehend the culprits for prosecution. On July 1, information reached the police that the couple was spotted in Biu LGA of Borno State, about to commit a similar act. Detectives from the division responded and successfully arrested the suspects on July 5. Preliminary investigations revealed that they are natives of Yobe. Abdulkarim further stated that the suspects have confessed to various crimes, including robbery and abduction of unsuspecting members of the public. He advised residents to report strangers to the police for proper investigation.
