BY AGNES NWORIE, ABAKALIKI
The cleric in charge of a new generation church in Agbaja Unuhu community in Abakaliki Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Victor Ikpi, has dragged his biological son and three of his son’s friends to court for stealing.
The police in the state arraigned the 15-year-old clergyman’s son, Daniel Ikpi, alongside his friends, Ezeh Joshua, 17; Dickson Israel, 15; and Ezeh Ikechukwu, 14; before an Abakaliki Magistrate’s Court presided over by Linda Ogodo, on three-count-charge of conspiracy, breaking into a house and stealing.
Daniel, with the assistance of his friends, was said to have broken into his mother’s room and stolen the sum of N1, 350,000 (One million three hundred and fifty thousand naira) from her traveling bag on January 9, 2022.
The cleric’s son was accused of fleeing home thereafter to a place where he allegedly squandered the loot.
Months later, Daniel’s mother, Mrs. Rose Victor Ikpi, reportedly found her son using a Samsung Galaxy S6 and iPhone S phones. When she interrogated him, the woman found out that he had stolen the church’s money that was kept in her bag.
When interrogated, the pastor’s son revealed how he and his friends squandered the money on expensive phones and other items. They were consequently arrested and arraigned.
The charge brought against them read in part that “Ikpi Daniel, Eze Joshua, Dickson Isreal and Ikechukwu Ezeh, on January 9, 2022 at Agbaja Unuhu Abakaliki in Abakaliki Magisterial district, did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit: house breaking and stealing and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 516A (a) of the Criminal Code, Cap 33, Volume 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.
“You (defendants), on the same date and place, did break and enter into a dwelling house of one Pastor Victor Ikpi during day time with intent to commit felony therein and thereby committed offence punishable under Section 411(a)(b) of the Criminal Code, Cap 33, Volume 1 Laws of Ebonyi State Nigeria, 2009.
“You did steal the sum of N1,350,000 (One million three hundred and fifty thousand naira) only from the ecolag box property of one Rose Victor Ikpi and thereby committed (an) offence punishable under Section 390(9) of the Criminal Code, Cap 33, Volume 1 Laws of Ebonyi State Nigeria, 2009.”
During the arraignment, the defendants’ counsel, Igwe Julius, prayed the court for out -of- court settlement.
Magistrate Linda Ogodo adjourned the matter till June 24 for consideration of out -of- court settlement or continuation of hearing.
