By Izunna Okafor, Awka
A man, whose identity is yet to be ascertained, has been apprehended for allegedly stealing a handbag belonging to a female church member during offering time.
The incident was said to have happened at the St. Gregory’s Parish, Iyiowa Odekpe, in Ogbaru Local Government Area of the Anambra State state on Sunday.
It was gathered that the woman whose bag was stolen had left it on her seat to go for offering, only to return and found it no more.
This was corroborated by post made by a social media user, one Egbuaba Ifeoma, who also revealed that the suspect was later apprehended in his hiding place shortly after the church members launched a manhunt for him, following the alarm raised by the victim.
Ifeoma, in the post, also advised everyone to always be vigilant at all times, as criminals now also target and rob worshippers even inside the church, adding that it is not everyone who goes to church on Sunday goes to worship God, but with different intentions.
Captioned “Say No to Stealing: Handbag Thief Caught at a Church In Odekpe, Anambra State”, the post read: “People should be careful this period as robbers now target worshippers in churches.
“This young man was caught last Sunday at St. Gregory Parish, Iyiowa Odekpe, Anambra state with a parishioner’s handbag he had stolen. The woman went to give offering during the early morning mass and left her handbag on her seat. By the time she returned, the man had stolen her bag from her seat.
“The woman raised alarm and the church members went into action looking for the culprit. Sensing a danger, the robber ran into a hidden place, but he was found and roughly handled.”
This reporter, Izunna Okafor, made efforts to get the confirmation and reactions of the Anambra State Police Command, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, on this, but to no avail, as he did not pick his calls or respond to his messages.
