In Ebonyi, man jailed for stealing church offering, phone
The convict was
accused of stealing N45,465 belonging to St. Patrick Catholic Church in
Kpirikpiri, Abakaliki. The sum of
N41,465 was recovered from Nwonu who was also accused of stealing an
undisclosed amount of money and a phone from a woman in the Udunukwe area of
Abakaliki.
The charges against
the convict who was arraigned on two counts of burglary and stealing on
Thursday July 16, read;
"That you,
Emmanuel Nwonu, July 11, 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 N45,465 belonging to St. Patrick
Catholic Church, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 415 of
the Criminal Code, Cap. 33, Vol. 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.
“That you, Emmanuel
Nwonu, on the same date and place and in the same aforesaid magisterial
district, did wilfully and unlawfully damaged one offering box and it’s padlock
valued at N15,000, property of St. Patrick Catholic Church, Kpirikpiri,
Abakaliki, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 451 of the
Criminal Code, Cap. 33, Vol. 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.”
Nwonu pleaded guilty
to charges and also blamed his actions on his poor condition. He said;
“I am really
suffering taking care of my visually impaired father; it has not been that easy
for me. Currently, I have no place of my own to stay. I sleep under the
Spera-In-Deo flyover every night. I am a driver and I lost my job, and since
then, I have not found any other job to do."
Magistrate A. C.
Nwusulor who presided over the case, said he decided sentence Nwonu to 12
months imprisonment instead of 7 years so he can think and repent. It was further gathered that prior to his
recent sentencing, the convict was apprehended twice for stealing in 2017.
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