26th March, 2012
The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Freedom Court Parish in Abeokuta, Southwest Nigeria was burgled Saturday night by unidentified persons.
The church is located directly opposite St. Andrews Anglican Primary School, Ita- Alaagba in Ita- Eko area of Abeokuta South Local Government Area of Ogun State.
The burglars reportedly stole a laptop, projector and a camera valued at N500,000.
A source in the church quoted the pastor-in-charge, Pastor Ade Osilalu, as saying that the items stolen were kept under lock and key in his office.
“When I got to the church and entered into my office, I discovered that the place where the items were kept was empty. They left only the pack of the camera,” the pastor said.
He added: “They did a neat job. The door to my office was not damaged. It seems they got hold of the church keys.
“It is an in-house robbery. I pray the person confesses or face the wrath of God,” he said during church service.
When our correspondent visited the church on Sunday evening, few members who were seen around declined to comment on the incident, saying only the Pastor can say anything about it.
When our correspondent later contacted Pastor Osilalu on phone, he confirmed the incident indirectly but refused to speak further on the issue, claiming it is not good for the house of God.
According to Osilalu, “my brother, I wondered how you got the information, but I don’t think it is good for it to be in the news. The incident may have adverse effect on the church, we don’t want it published.”
All efforts by our correspondent to convinced the man of God to open up on the matter proved abortive as he insisted that they would not want the incident to be made public.
P.M.NEWS reliably gathered that the stolen items were bought for the use of the church sometime in December last year.
—Abiodun Onafuye & Ibrahim Bakare/Abeokuta