The stolen laptop Week 9,2015

It happened in September 2014 when Enugu diocese hosted the general synod of all Nigeria. I was part of the media setup and my laptop was being used to gather information for the programme. Usually a fellow priest from Nike diocese would pick the data with a flash drive every day and work with it. On this Wednesday his flash was corrupt; as shown when he put it in another system. I would not risk my laptop so we agreed he would take the laptop that day and return it so he took it and left. We dismissed about 9.00pm that day. When he got to St Andrew’s Church Trans Ekulu that night he was attacked by armed robbers. They had stolen a car and put the owner in the boot and held the woman with them. They stopped the priest and boarded the vehicle with their victim, taking the laptops with them. They stopped another car after making away with the priest’s car; shooting someone in the process. The police were informed and the vehicle was found the next day, without any laptop.

When my wife heard the news she wept much for a lot of her data for her degree course was stored there. I also had quite a lot of data in it since 2009 when I bought it at Roban stores for N130, 000. Were they gone forever? We prayed, brethren prayed, and the next Sunday I was quoted as saying to the congregation, “That laptop isn’t lost. It has been prayed for and is kept in God’s hands” (I didn’t actually remember when I said that). Two days later I got a phone call from an ICT staff in Enugu campus, a member of Holy Trinity Church Awkunanaw. He wondered why I wanted to sell my laptop. Someone had brought it to him to format prior to purchase and he recognised my pictures and that of the archbishop there. I exclaimed it was stolen. His contact had been offered it for N50, 000; less than half the price I bought it. We contacted the police and the prospective buyer when approached was willing to assist us get the thieves. The police were particularly interested as someone had been shot in the chain of incidents. They planned to nab the man, but needed a receipt from the seller to implicate him.

On agreement the buyer requested the seller to come for his money. He asked him to come to the reading room to get it. Unknown to him plain clothed policemen were there waiting. The seller came late, had no receipt with him but wrote one up there and then. When he handed it over the buyer made to get the money out and the police arrested all of them! It turned out the seller was an accomplice, not one of those in the operation that night. The thieves had been shot by the police in an exchange. It was only my laptop recovered from that night’s robbery. The following Sunday – a week after the congregational prayers I held up the laptop before the brethren. There was much rejoicing before the Lord.

 "I am the LORD, who made all things, … who frustrates the signs of liars and makes fools of diviners, who turns wise men back and makes their knowledge foolish, who confirms the word of his servant and fulfills the counsel of his messengers…” Is 44:24-26(ESV)

 Canon Ikenna Nwachukwu is curate Church of Pentecost Igbariam