Just days before the ninth “Adult Harvest Thanksgiving Service” of the Celestial Church of Christ (CCC) at Testimony Parish, a shocking robbery occurred, as thieves stole two large cows intended for the event. The animals, valued at approximately N2 million, were taken from the church grounds in the early hours of Saturday, much to the dismay of church leaders and members.
According to reports from *Saturday Tribune*, the theft occurred while the shepherd-in-charge and other prominent church leaders had retired for the night. The cows, which had been tethered in the church premises, were untied and taken by the suspected thieves. Church leaders discovered the crime the following morning, only to find footprints and traces of the stolen animals, but no clues as to their whereabouts.
Oluso Ayo, a church leader, confirmed the incident, stating, “Suspected thieves invaded our church premises and made away with two cows meant for the harvest celebration. We saw the footprints of the thieves, but we cannot say where they took the cows. It is shocking because this has never happened before at our church, even though similar incidents have occurred in the area.
One anonymous church member expressed disbelief at the audacity of the thieves, questioning the safety of the community. “If this can happen in a church environment, where else is safe in this country? I’ve never heard of thieves invading a church and stealing such large animals. It’s a sign that things have gone terribly wrong in the country,” the member said.
In response to the theft, the church posted an appeal on its X (formerly Twitter) account, informing the public of the missing cows and requesting prayers for their safe return. “These two huge cows were stolen from our church premises in the Elerumoke area, Egbeda, Ibadan. They were meant to be slaughtered for our upcoming Adult Harvest Thanksgiving this Sunday, November 17, 2024. Please help us recover them,” the church stated.
Shepherd-in-Charge Prophet Rotimi Agunbiade Temitope, who was out of town during the incident, confirmed the robbery in a telephone interview. He explained that the cows had been purchased with contributions from church members, making the loss particularly painful.
The cows cost us N1.98 million. They were so large that no one could have expected them to be stolen,” he said, adding that the thieves took advantage of the church’s unfinished perimeter fence.
Despite the setback, the church went ahead with its 2024 Adult Harvest, though the theft cast a shadow over the event. The shepherd assured that work has already begun on completing the church’s perimeter fence to prevent future incidents.
While this type of crime has occurred in the surrounding neighborhood before, it was a first for the church. Authorities are still investigating the theft, but the incident has sparked concern about safety and security in the area.
