Couple, in-law arrested for stealing N13m from church

The suspects

A suspect, Pius Edward; his wife, Fausat; and her mother, have been arrested by the Oyo State Police Command in connection with the theft of N13m from Bishop's Court, an Anglican church in Bodija area of Ibadan.

Edward, a security man at the church was said to have broken into an office where the money was kept and made away with it.

It was alleged that he woke his wife the following morning and told her to prepare for a journey with the children.

After the theft was reported by one of the reverends in the church, the police were, however, able to trace his movement and nabbed him at Idi-Iroko, Ogun State, where he had gone to buy two cars with part of his loot.

He was also said to be planning to relocate his family to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Ndabawa, said Edwards' in-law's involvement was attempting to help the family disappear from Nigeria by facilitating the procurement of their travel documents.

He said, "On November 9, at about 9am, an accountant attached to Bishop's Court, Bodija, Ibadan, reported to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad office that on November 8, at 11.55pm, Edward broke into the office and made away with N13m which belongs to the church.

"Investigation revealed that the suspect was hiding in a hotel at Odeda in Ogun State. With the help of immigration office, Ogun State Command, the suspect and his family were assisted in procuring travelling document to Dubai without letting him know that he was being lured out of his hiding place. He was arrested thereafter at Idi-Iroko, Ogun State with two unregistered car he had purchased with part of the money."

Also recovered from him were N656, 000 and $2,300, while Edward said he tore a N7m cheque belonging to the church for fear of being arrested while attempting to cash it.

Edward confessed to the crime while speaking with our correspondent, adding that he only stole N2.5m and that he purchased N1.8m cars from the loot.

"I pushed my wife into the crime. My mother in-law was involved because she introduced me to the immigration officer that helped us procure the travelling document," he said.

Fausat said she did not know that her husband had stolen the money.

"He threatened to leave me with the children if I did not follow him.

"So I followed him. He did not tell me that he stole money from the church," she said.