Abia: Suspected thief electrocuted inside church

By IJENDU IHEAKA

The Abia Command of Nigeria Police on Sunday confirmed the electrocution of a suspected thief popularly called “Bouncer” in Aba while stealing from a church.

SP Geoffrey Ogbonna, the Abia Command Police PRO, confirmed the report in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

He said the “area-boy” popularly known as “Bouncer” was allegedly electrocuted while trying to steal a church’s electrical appliances and other equipment in Aba.

Ogbonna said that although the Police did not yet have his real name, his corpse had been deposited in a mortuary.

NAN learnt from worshippers that the incident happened at St Luke’s Anglican Church, Agbarevo Street, off Omuma Road, in Eziukwu-Asa-Okpuaja in Aba South LGA on Saturday midnight.

A worker in the Church who pleaded anonymity, said they had recorded several robbery incidents in the church premises with no one ever caught to account for several missing items in the past.

However, he said that concerning the incident of April 30, “Bouncer’s voice was heard shouting ‘oh Jesus’ inside the Church premises about midnight on Saturday.”

He said after the shout, they discovered the corpse of the Street Urchin early on Sunday morning, confirming suspicions that the thief lived around the church.

He alleged that the deceased had jumped into the church premises through the rear fence, dismantled other equipment, cutting wires when power was restored, leading to his electrocution.

“This church has recorded several stealing cases in recent times.

“The thieves have made a mess of the house of God with their stealing techniques. We have been living at the mercy of God. Nothing is safe here. Not even the roofing sheets.

“The church lost newly fixed roofing sheets worth millions of Naira. We have lost too many plastic chairs and seats worth hundreds of thousands of naira.

“The last one that happened which shocked everyone was a very big goat which was used by a church member for thanksgiving.

“And the goat valued at about N150,000 was tied up in the church compound but was stolen the next day. Can you imagine the guts?

“We discovered the thief pulled down some blocks while jumping into the church compound to do his thing.

“I am not happy about his death. I would have loved it if he was alive to repent, but this should be a lesson to others out there.

“His corpse was discovered this morning (Sunday) and had been reported at the Central Police Station, Aba. It is really a pity. People need to stop doing evil,” he said. (NAN)