The self acclaimed Carpenter who is in his early twenties is also known by some of the parishioners and the the Priest of Immaculate Conception Parish, Green Land Parish, Ugbo-ezeji Abakpa.
Narrating his involvement,Nwode stated that he is a parishioner with the church and that on Sunday,3rd November, during mass, an announcement was made in the course of the church service stating that a parish council meeting will be held with a view of raising funds for church activities.
His words: “I knew that notable dignitaries with enviable financial pedigree will grace the meeting and on that,a lot of financial proceeds will be recorded in the course of the meeting.Bearing this in mind,i invited my associates identified as Echezona Goodluck Igwenagu of Umudioka in Awka-South local government area of Anambra state but presently living at Indian quarters block,Railway Enugu whom i knew when we all worked with a construction company at now Enugu shoprite and one Onyeka Nnaji of Osuene,Amangunze in Nkanu-East local government area of Enugu state but living close to Nwode at No 37 Agbarike, Ugbo Paul, Abakpa Nike who also is a mason and briefed them about the intended robbery and how it could be carried out.
“Onyeka Nnaji provided the two locally made guns, cut to size and a double mouth locally made pistol for the robbery which took place on 4th November at about 10.05 pm where we invaded the residence of the priest identified as Rev.Fr.Dan Nwafor Ani who was resting on his bed when we struck with our guns and tied the priest’s mouth and hand with the priest’s shirt and carted away with the box containing the proceeds realized from the meeting amounting to hundreds of thousands of Naira”.
Following this,information got to the Commissioner of Police, Abubakar Adamu Mohammed, who quickly mobilized operatives of the distress call base of the command.
The operatives trailed the hoodlums who tried to resist the attempt of the operatives by firing at the operatives who made sure that the hoodlums submit to their superior fire power thereby arresting them and recovering the money looted as well as their arms.
One of the suspect’s Echezona is begging for forgiveness pointing out that it was bad company that led him into the mess while he also advised that youth should shun crime and criminality.
To Onyeka Nnaji,it was not his intention to commit the crime but frustrations and however pleaded that the priest should beg God to forgive him.The priest in his reaction thanked God for not allowing the boys to shoot him and also thanked the Police in their prompt intervention and trail which led to their arrests and recoveries.Meanwhile,a full scale investigations have commenced into the alleged incident.
