A 35-year-old mobile gospel preacher, Lucky David, was on Tuesday, May 12, 2015 remanded at Kirikiri Prisons by an Ejigbo Magistrates’ Court 2 in Lagos State for an alleged theft of a Lexus Sports Utility Vehicle, SUV worth about N1.5 million.
The preacher reportedly carried a Bible and bell while preaching to the residents of Idimu-Ejigbo road in Idimu and asking them to repent of their bad ways.
When he got to the residence of Mrs Stella Ogunfeitimi who had prepared to go to work that morning and saw that she left her car key in the ignition and went upstairs to collect something, the pastor sneaked into the compound and drove away the vehicle marked KRD 646 DD.
After a plea of innocence, the presiding magistrate, Peter Nwaka refused to grant the accused bail because he failed to provide a residential address.
According to Vanguard, Nwaka said anyone willing to stand surety to fulfill the accused’s bail conditions should go to the Chief Registrar’s office.
During the session, the Prosecutor, Cpl.Oluwafemi Adeleye, told the court how the pastor stole the vehicle at about 9am on Friday, May 1, 2015 at Idimu in Ejigbo area of the state.
Adeleye said, “The accused on the said date impersonated as a gospel preacher, clutching a hand bell pretended to be preaching around the residence of one Mrs Stella Ogunfatimi.
“However, the `fake preacher’ was only monitoring her movement.
“As soon as Ogunfatimi came out of her jeep to pick something in her house, the accused entered the jeep and drove it away.”
He further explained that the woman immediately reported the case at Idimu Police Station which prompted some police officers to trail the pastor to Iyana Iba-LASU road where they arrested him.
When he was taken with the vehicle to the station, the pastor confessed that he actually came into the state from Benin, the Edo State capital to steal vehicles.
He told the police that he had no fixed address and that he pretended to be preaching the gospel to deceive people in order accomplish his mission.
He added, “The accused was, however, apprehended in a traffic jam while the jeep was recovered from him.’’
The prosecutor told the court that the offence contravened Section 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
The case was finally adjourned fir further mention until Wednesday, May 27, 2015.
