Churches
in Imo state are beginning to experience hard times following the recent
attacks by armed robbers in the state.
It was
gathered from sources that in the last two weeks, about three churches have
been robbed so far by robbers. The churches attacked were located in Mbano
local government area of the state and included St. Paul’s Catholic
Parish, Osu, St. Paul’s Catholic Parish, Umuezeala-ama, and the Cathedral
Church of Christ (Diocese of Okigwe North), Ezihe.
According
to the victims including the parish priest of St. Paul’s, Osu, Monsignor
Eugene Onuoha, valuables, personal effects, church offerings were said to
have been carted away by the robbers, describing the experience as horrendous.
Reports say:
The robbers came to his parish house around 3.30 am on Monday,
August 19, 2013.He said the robbers, who stormed the parish house at about
3:30am on Monday, August 19, 2013, told him to relax and that they did not come
to harm or kill anyone in the parish house, but to ‘find something to eat’.
Thereafter, the priest said they ransacked the place and made away with all the
money in his possession including Sunday Mass offering, Pontifical collection,
phones, laptop computers, etc.
His curate, Rev. Fr. Thaddeus Nnebedum, said he was not spared
as he was dispossed of money, electronic gadgets and other valuables.
Strangely, the priest disclosed that before the marauders made
to leave around 4.15am after their business, they requested him to pray for and
bless them, a request he said he granted, describing the experience as
shocking.
A week before the incident, it was also learnt that the robbers
had visited St. Paul’s Umuezeala-ama, where the parish priest, Rev. Fr.
Christopher Chukwuma was quoted by The Sage(Okigwe Catholic Newspaper) as
saying that the robbers numbering about eight came with a Hummer bus.
The non-hostile robbers, according to the priest, were fully
armed with pump action rifles, pistols, and big iron cutter with which they
broke the doors to the rectory, and dispossed him and his curate, Rev. Fr.
Celestine Okezie of laptop and desktop computers, microwave machine,
undisclosed amount of money including Sunday Mass collection and other
valuables.
At the Cathedral Church of Christ, the details of the incident
were sketchy.
While some worshippers said that the bandits robbed the bishop
of the diocese, others said it was the priest in charge of the church that was
robbed.
Meanwhile, the robbers went on to rob Rega Hotel located beside
the Cathedral.
Efforts made to contact the state PPRO, DSP Joy Elemoko for comments did not
yield any result as she did not pick her phone as at press time.
Thereafter, the priest said they ransacked the place and made away with all the money in his possession including Sunday Mass offering, Pontifical collection, phones, laptop computers, etc.
Efforts made to contact the state PPRO, DSP Joy Elemoko for comments did not yield any result as she did not pick her phone as at press time.
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