Mentally-Touched Anglican Priest Sets Bank Atms Ablaze in Imo
The sum of N100,000 and a new hammer, was recovered from the Anglican Priest who also set his motorcycle on fire
[irp]
A Mentally-unbalanced Anglican priest identified as Rev. Chukwunyere Ibezim of St. Stephen’s Anglican Church, Ugiri, reportedly set the two Automated Teller Machines installed by Imo Microfinance Bank at Aba Branch, Imo State on fire alongside his motorcycle, before he was overpowered by security men and bank customers.
Southern City News reports that an eyewitness, Kingsley Chukwu, said the Anglican Priest was beaten by the enraged mob who gathered at the scene of the incident which happened on Friday.
[irp]
“Rev. Chukwunyere Ibezim of St. Stephen’s Anglican Church, Ugiri in Isiala Mbano LGA is cooling off his heels in the police net for breaking into the bank in broad daylight with a gallon of fuel and setting the two installed ATMs on fire.
“On noticing that people would go after him, he smartly ran out of the bank, set his own motorcycle on fire in a bid to scare people away and took to his heels.
“A mob went after him and almost crushed him. It took the intervention of policemen from the Ehime Mbano Divisional Headquarters to save him from being lynched.
“The sum of N100,000 was recovered from him. A new hammer was equally recovered from him. He came on a brand new motorcycle which he later set ablaze also,” Chukwu narrated.
Confirming the incident, Imo State Commissioner of Police in the state, Chris Ezike, said medical checks conducted on the priest by his command revealed that the suspect was a psychiatric patient, who has been taken to a psychiatric home in Enugu State.
[irp]
The Police Commissioner who condemned the unprovoked attack on a public facility, said;
“The young man is a psychiatric patient. A medical check carried out by the medical team of the command revealed that he is a psychiatric patient and we have taken him to a psychiatric home in Enugu State.”
