Magistrate Adijat Oloyade of the Osun State Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting in Osogbo, on Thursday, convicted the pastor of a Cherubim and Seraphim Church located on the Baruwa Estate, Osogbo, Solomon Opaalade, for stealing a goat and turkeys.
Opaalade, who was arraigned on five counts bordering on stealing, was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment for three of the counts.
When he was arraigned on July 15, 2019, Opaalade was accused of stealing nine turkeys and a goat sometimes in March, 2017.
In the course of the trial, the prosecution team led by Adekunle Adeniyi from the state Ministry of Justice, told the court that Opaalade stole nine turkeys and a goat belonging to Oluwasegun Hammeed.
The prosecutor called five witnesses and presented two turkeys and charms recovered from Opaalade as well as a statement written by the defendant.
Oloyade, in her judgment, found the defendant guilty of three of the five counts.
Recently, Oloyade subsequently sentenced the cleric to 18 months’ imprisonment on each of the three counts, or an option of paying N10,000 fine for each of the counts.
In view of Pastor Solomon being found guilty of stealing turkeys and a goat, some Christians expressed concern over the steadily growing humiliating acts by clergy men, who have in recent times conducted themselves in the most ungodly and embarrassing ways. Some cited examples of Pastors, Priests and Prophets who have been found guilty of rape or molestation, sexual assault of minors, theft, rituals, debauchery and even outright murder, and hoped that these men of God will find repentance and seek to live a holy life.
One Christian brother who asked not to be named, pleaded with his fellow Christians to consciously and deliberately work out their salvation with fear and trembling as the Bible points out rather vividly, and desist from a lifestyle that is devoid of God’s standards and precepts. He ended by saying misusing the grace of God can be costly and humility is key in serving God diligently as the days are fast becoming more evil.