A pastor identified as Friday Okeneji has been sentenced to two years imprisonment by an Ondo State Magistrate Court sitting in Akure, the state capital.
According to The PUNCH, the convict who is a presiding pastor of a popular church in Iwaro Oka Akoko in Akoko South-West Local Government Area of the state was said to have stole chemical substances worth a sum of N130,000.
He was accused of breaking into a chemical store and stealing products before being apprehended and charged in court. He was charged with two counts of stealing and was arraigned in court.
When the two accusations were read to him, the pastor pleaded guilty and informed the court that he committed the crime in order to survive the difficult times.
He claimed to be without a source of income and explained that he needed to gather N150,000 to cover the expenses of his mother’s funeral, which is scheduled for August.
The magistrate, Mr. Damilola Sekoni, found the pastor guilty of the charges and imposed a two-year prison sentence, along with the alternative of a N100,000 fine. The magistrate ordered concurrent execution of the prison term.
Additionally, he counselled the convict to reform his ways and adopt genuine Christian qualities such as diligence and devotion to prayer.
