Man, 29, Arraigned For Stealing Woman’s Phones Worth N.7m During Church Service

Posted on July 1, 2025

KINGSLEY EBERE

A woman, Thompson Aina, had a nasty experience while at Cherubim and Seraphim Church in Lagos for a service as her two expensive phones worth N.7m were stolen by a man sitting close to her while she closed her eyes during prayer session

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the 29-year old man, Tunde Onigbide, was later arrested and charged for the alleged stealing.

The incident happened on 6th June, 2025, during the service at Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Opposite MC Oluomo Canoe Road, Ejigbo, Lagos.

After stealing the phones, as he tried to escape, the security guards on duty accosted and were interrogating him before the owner of the phones opened her eyes and realized that her phones was missing.

She raised an alarm and ran out of the church only to see the security men and the suspect and she recovered her phones.

The suspect, Onigbide, was then handed over to the Police at Ejigbo Division and he was detained for interrogation over his alleged criminal conduct.

During interrogation, he admitted stealing the phones. The Police found him culpable and consequently charged him before the Ejigbo Magistrate Court for the alleged offence which attracts several years of imprisonment.

The charge read:

“That you, Tunde Onigbide ‘m’, on the 6th June, 2025, at about 2330hrs, at Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Opposite MC Oluomo Canoe Road, Ejigbo, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did steal Samsung Galaxy A04 phone and one iPhone 8plus, total value N700,000, property of one Thompson Aina ‘f and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.”

However, he pleaded not guilty.

The prosecutor, Inspector Simeon Njue, then asked the Court to give a date for hearing since he pleaded not guilty to enable the Police to prove that he actually committed the alleged offence.

The Presiding Magistrate, Mr. T.A. Popoola, granted him bail with two sureties, who must show evidence of means of livelihood and tax payment while addresses will be verified by the Court.

The matter was adjourned for mention while the defendant was remanded in custody at the correctional center at Kirikiri town, Lagos, pending when he will perfect his bail conditions.