22-yr-old invades church to steal SUV

A 22-year-old man, Samuel (surname withheld), who invaded the park of the Living Faith Church, popularly known as Winners Chapel, in Sango Ota, Ogun State, to steal a vehicle, has blamed the devil for the act.

Metro learnt that Samuel had broken one of the rear glasses of the vehicle, forced himself into the driver’s seat and was battling with the security device in the vehicle when the bubble burst on him.

The owner of the vehicle, who pleaded anonymity, while speaking with Metro, said “it was last Sunday. We had ended the fourth church service and decided to eat in a restaurant.

“We were still in the restaurant when one of our neighbours called that we should wait for him as he would be going home with us.

“At that point, I told one of my daughters to go and wait for the neighbour where our vehicle was parked. She was the one who saw someone in the vehicle which was locked with security device, and quickly came to alert us.”

She added: “Initially, the suspect did not know that the vehicle was ours; he told us that he owned the vehicle and that he had lost the key.”

In an interview with Metro, Samuel confessed to have broken into the vehicle and said that he was demobilising the Toyota Highlander Sports Utility Vehicle when policemen from Obasanjo police station arrested him.

The suspect, who initially said he was 19 years old, but later 20, stated: “I don t know what came over me. I wanted to take the vehicle home which I had left for a long time.”

Samuel, who claimed to be a driver, student and gospel artiste, also blamed his act on lack of fatherly care, saying he did it because his father died when he was still very young.

“I have not gone to my mother’s house in Lamgbasa Ajah for some time. I was staying with my nephew, but I wanted to go back home with the vehicle.”

A police source at Obasanjo police station who spoke with Metro under the condition of anonymity said “the boy is a perfect car thief. We recovered Indian hemp from him. He had gone to the church for the purpose of removing a vehicle from the park.”

The source added that “we found out that he had moved around the car parks at the church before he finally saw the vehicle. The owner left the tag in the vehicle and we believe Samuel chose that particular one because he would not be allowed to take the vehicle out of the premises without the tag.