The founder of D’Marriage Centre, Bishop Godspower Osaro, and one Barinaa Saneh, were on Thursday arraigned before a Magistrate Court in Nchia, Eleme Local Government Area, for allegedly stealing desks, chairs, fittings, panels, and other office equipment valued at N25 million from Community Primary School, Alesa, Eleme.
The two defendants, who pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge of stealing, were granted bail by the presiding magistrate, Mrs. Kevin Chinaka. Bail was set at N9.5 million each, with conditions including the provision of a senior government official as surety.
The alleged theft occurred less than two weeks after newly supplied desks were delivered to the school by Dr. Obo Dibiah, the immediate past Administrator of Eleme Local Government. Dr. Dibiah had promised the supply after discovering that pupils were forced to sit on bare floors due to the disappearance of desks earlier provided by the Rivers State Government during the Amaechi administration.
According to reports, the stolen desks were traced to Bishop Osaro’s church by members of the Alesa and Alode youth councils, who were mobilised after the school headmistress raised an alarm. The desks had been dismantled, with the iron frames set aside, while other office equipment was also found on the church premises.
During police interrogation, Osaro allegedly confessed to carrying out the crime with Barinaa, after which both men were handed over to officers at Eleme Divisional Headquarters.
A mild drama ensued after Thursday’s court session when the prosecutor announced that Bishop Osaro would not be taken into prison custody, claiming he had already met the bail conditions. This sparked protests from community representatives present in court, who alleged that the bail bond was signed by the bishop’s father without proof of fulfilling the required conditions.
The accused were later driven away in a white bus, which the police said was conveying them to prison custody pending verification of their bail.
