A drama unfolded in Umuahia on Thursday as a suspected thief made away with a cell phone belonging to a federal lawmaker throughout a high-profile burial ceremony.
The lawmaker representing Umunneochi/Isuikwuato Federal Constituency of Abia State, Amobi Ogah, reportedly misplaced his telephone on the Worldwide Convention Centre (ICC), Umuahia, throughout the state burial organised in honour of late evangelist, Rev Uma Ukpai.
The incident occurred within the midst of a big gathering that included political figures, spiritual leaders, and members of the general public who had come to pay their final respects.
Regardless of the heavy safety presence on the venue, the suspect allegedly blended into the group and carried out the act with out quick detection.
Eyewitness accounts counsel that the lawmaker was engaged in exchanging pleasantries with associates when the telephone was quietly taken. A video that surfaced after the occasion seems to point out the second the suspect approached and slipped away unnoticed, benefiting from the busy ambiance.
Sources on the occasion stated the group was tightly packed, making it simpler for the suspect to maneuver round freely with out elevating suspicion. The benefit with which the thief reportedly navigated the venue has raised considerations about safety preparations at main public gatherings within the state.
Following the incident, Ogah appealed to members of the general public for help. He known as on anybody with helpful data that might assist determine and apprehend the suspect to return ahead.
He additionally introduced a money reward of N500,000 for credible data that results in the restoration of the telephone or the arrest of the person accountable.
The event has since sparked reactions, with some individuals expressing shock that such an incident may occur at a state-organised occasion of that scale.