Benue: Robbers seek forgiveness from priest while robbing him

A GROUP of suspected armed robbers, yesterday, invaded the residence of a Catholic priest in Makurdi, Benue State, Rev. Fr. Solomon Ukeyima, and robbed him.

The priest, who is in charge of the St. Augustine’s Parish, Demekpe, in the Makurdi Catholic Diocese, said one of the robbers kept seeking forgiveness from him even in the course of the robbery.

He, however, added that this did not stop him from ‘progressing with the robbery as he was picking different items from the parish house.

Fr. Ukeyima said the operation lasted less than an hour, adding that the robbers shot in the air as they scaled the fence into the residence.

The priest, who said the robbers took their time to ransack his house, added that they were calm throughout the operation and that one of them spoke impeccable English.

“I love the confidence and the calmness in them. One of them, for anything he picked, he would say forgive us father,” Fr. Ukeyima stated.

He said the robbers broke into his bedroom around 2am, having scaled the perimeter fence to the parish house.T he robbers did not cover their faces, but he could not recognise them.

While itemising what was stolen by the robbers, the priest said they went away with the thanksgiving offerings of four families on Sunday, offertory, phones, footwear, sound system and some drinks.

Fr. Ukeyima asked for prayers for the robbers to change from their evil ways, adding that he had since forgiven them.

“I have forgiven them and I ask others to also pray for them. They are young people. There was one of them that was speaking impeccable English. Let them make a complete U-turn and put to good use the talent that they have,” the priest said.