How We Robbed A Catholic Priest, 3-Man Robbery Gang

Posted by African Examiner Crime Watch, Featured, Latest Headlines, News Saturday, November 9th, 2013

Ignatius Okpara, Enugu

A three – man armed robbery gang Friday met their waterloo in Enugu after robbing a catholic priest in his residence located inside a church premises.

Leader of the gang and self-acclaimed Carpenter who is in his early 20s, Nwode Obinna from Onunworie in Ezza local government area of Ebonyi state, but currently reside in Enugu with his parents is known by some of the parishioners and their victim, who is the parish Priest of Immaculate Conception Parish, Green Land Parish, Ugbo-ezeji Abakpa.

Narrating how he hatched the crime before newsmen at the state police headquarters, where they were paraded, Nwode, disclosed that he is a member of the church.

Said the suspect: on Sunday,3rd November, during a church service (mass), an announcement was made informing the congregation that a parish council meeting will be held with a view to raising funds for church activities.

His words: “I knew that notable dignitaries with enviable financial pedigree will grace the meeting and based on that, a lot of financial proceeds will definitely be recorded during 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 bricklayer 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 “

“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, immediately we broke into his room, we removed his shirt and use it to tie his mouth and hand and cart away with the box containing the proceeds realised from the fund raising meeting amounting to hundreds of thousands of Naira”.

According to available information from office of the state police public Relations officer PPRO, Ebere Amarizu (DSP), immediately, the Commissioner of Police, Abubakar Adamu Mohammed, got hint of the attack, he quickly mobilized operatives of the distress call base of the command.

The operatives Amarizu said, trailed the hoodlums who on citing the security men, tried to resist them by opening fire at them, but the policemen, made sure that they overpower the criminals, leading to their arrest.

After arresting them, the undisclosed stolen church money as well as their arms were recovered from the criminals, the police disclosed.

One of the suspect’s Goodluck Echezona, from Umudioka in Awka, Anambra state, is begging for forgiveness, saying it was bad company that lured him into the mess, just as he advised youths to shun crime and criminality.

For Onyeka Nnaji, it was not his intention to commit the crime but decided to join the unholy act as a result of frustrations, pleading that the priest should beg God to forgive him.

Meanwhile, the priest in his reaction had thanked God for not allowing the boys to shoot him and also thanked the Police in their prompt intervention of trailing them which led to their arrests and recoveries.

However, police in the state says a full scale investigations have commenced into the alleged incident.