A pastor, Onyenweaku Chibunnam, has been arrested by the Abia State police command for allegedly stealing a Toyota Camry in Ebem Ohafia community, of the Ohafia Local Government Area of the state.

Chibunnam who is the founder of a new generation church identified as the Assembly of the Redeemed at Ohafia was arrested with an accomplice, Prince Nnabugwu, who confessed that they belonged to a car-snatching syndicate.

The Commissioner of Police in Abia State, Leye Oyebade said the suspects were arrested after stealing a Toyota Camry from where its owner parked it last Saturday.

Chibunnam, however said they did not snatch the car, but stole it from where it was parked.

According to him, it was their sixth in the last few months, adding that he usually sold the cars at 60,000 to one Maxwell who resided in Port Harcourt.

He said, “Maxwell contacted me sometime last year to buy my car that I put up for sale, but he didn’t give me a good price for it, so, I couldn’t sell it to him. But when I stole an old model Toyota Camry last year, I called him to come and take the car I stole.

“We started having a misunderstanding when he requested the car’s original papers and I couldn’t provide them. I later told him that I stole the car. Maxwell became more interested in the business and gave me a master key with which I could steal Toyota Camry cars.”

Chibunnam said he used the money from the crime to fund his 30-member church and promised not to return to crime if he was set free by the police.

Azeez