Married man paraded for stealing pot of soup

– A 35-year-old suspect has confessed to stealing a pot of soup, some wraps of fufu and half basin of garri in Yenagoa local government area of Bayelsa state

 – The married man blames his actions on hunger and economic hardship 

– The suspect was paraded round the community with the stolen items as a deterrent to others then released afterwards 

 The alleged thief being paraded with the stolen items. Photo credits: The Punch. 

The alleged thief being paraded with the stolen items. Photo credits: The Punch. A father of two has been paraded by a vigilance group in Yenagoa local government area of Bayelsa state for allegedly stealing a pot of soup, 12 wraps of fufu and a half basin of garri flour.

The 35-year-old suspect who was identified as Kaduna Enatimi, was said to have been arrested by the vigilantes about 2am on Thursday, November, 10, while comfortably consuming some of the stolen wraps of fufu and the soup, the Punch reports.

The suspected thief was also said to have pleaded with the vigilantes, blaming his actions on hunger and economic hardship.

The head of the Igbogene vigilance committee, Chief MoneySweet Asomo, said the suspect was caught red handed “doing justice” to the soup and food items stolen from a cafeteria owned by an Akwa Ibom state woman in the area.

“We were on patrol at about 2am on Thursday. When we got to the Timida School area, we saw a man at a local food joint eating. The food kiosk is owned by an Akwa Ibom indigene popularly called Madam Blessing,” Asomo said. 

“We questioned Enatimi and he confessed to have stolen the pot of soup, some wraps of fufu and half basin of garri. He claimed it was the economic hardship that led him to the crime.” 

 It was, however, learnt that the paramount ruler of the area, the Obenibe X1 of Epie Kingdom, King Hope Adike, intervened and asked them to parade him (the suspect) round the community with the stolen items as a deterrent to others.

After parading the suspect round the village, he was released and asked to sin no more considering his defence that hunger and hardship made him to steal the items.