Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 3
The Poor Pastor, Episode 3
“Sir, I have never handled that kind of money in my life. One million naira is too much for me. I am telling you the truth, I am innocent. I cannot pay for something I did not do,” Pastor Uche said as he stood before the DPO with tears in his eyes.
The DPO looked at him calmly, as if he had heard that kind of statement many times before. He leaned forward and spoke in a low but firm voice.
“Pastor, let me be very honest with you so that you will understand the situation clearly. I know you are innocent. From everything I have seen and heard, I can tell that you were not part of that robbery. But innocence does not always save people in cases like this. What matters is what we present before the court, and right now, everything is pointing against you.”
Pastor Uche’s heart sank as he listened. The DPO continued speaking without any sign of sympathy.
“You were found at the scene. You were holding a gun. A man was shot dead. The real robbers escaped, and you were the one left behind. All the evidence is already against you. If I decide to take this case to court, you will be charged with arrmed robbery, murrder, and illegal possession of firearms. Do you know what that means? You may spend the rest of your life in prison.”
Pastor Uche began to tremble.
“Sir, please, I am begging you. You said it yourself that you know I am innocent. Please help me. I don’t deserve this. I was only trying to save lives. I did not know it would end like this,” he said.
But the DPO shook his head slowly.
“I have already told you the only way out. If you can arrange one million naira, this case will disappear. You will go home, and everything will end quietly. But if you cannot provide that money, then I will have no choice but to charge you to court. And once that happens, there is nothing anyone can do to save you,” he said.
Pastor Uche could not hold himself anymore.
He broke down in tears.
“Sir, please, have mercy on me. I am a poor man. I don’t have that kind of money. I have served God faithfully for many years. I have never stolen from anyone. I have never taken what does not belong to me. Please, do not destroy my life like this. Please help me,” he cried.
But the DPO remained unmoved.
“I am sorry, Pastor. This is how things work. Go and think about it. If you can find the money, come back to me. If not, prepare for court,” he said coldly.
Pastor Uche fell to his knees, still pleading.
“Sir, please—”
“Take him away,” the DPO said, cutting him off.
The officers immediately grabbed Pastor Uche and dragged him out of the office. His cries echoed through the station as he was taken back to the cell. They locked him up again, alone, as if he was truly a dangerous criminal.
That night, Pastor Uche did not sleep.
He sat on the cold floor, weeping quietly.
“God, where will I get such money? Who will help me? Am I going to prison for something I did not do?” he said to himself.
The next day, something unexpected happened.
One of Pastor Uche’s church members, a lawyer who believed strongly in his innocence, decided to take action. He could not sit back and watch his pastor suffer for doing the right thing. Early that morning, he went straight to the bank where the incident happened.
He walked into the bank with confidence and asked to see the manager immediately.
“I need to see the bank manager right now. It is very important,” he said. Within a few minutes, he was ushered into the manager’s office. He sat down and introduced himself boldly.
“My name is Lawyer Daniel. I am here as the lawyer representing Pastor Uche. I want to know why this bank has kept quiet while an innocent man is suffering. That man risked his life to protect this bank and the people inside it, yet he has been arrested and labeled a robber. Why has the bank not said anything?” he asked firmly.
The bank manager sighed deeply before responding.
“Pastor, I understand your concern. I know what you are talking about. But the truth is, I did not want to get involved in the police investigation. These matters can become complicated, and I did not want to put myself or the bank into trouble,” he said.
Lawyer Daniel leaned forward and spoke again.
“Sir, with all due respect, staying silent in a situation like this is the same as supporting injustice. That man is innocent, and you know it. If you remain quiet, you are allowing an innocent man to be destroyed,” he said.
The manager paused for a moment, then nodded slowly.
“You are right,” he said.
He opened a drawer and brought out a storage device.
“Our security team gave me a copy of the CCTV recording from that day. I watched it myself. From what I saw, Pastor Uche is completely innocent. He did not rob the bank. In fact, he stopped one of the robbers and saved lives,” the manager said.
“Then why didn’t you take this to the police?” The Lawyer asked.
The manager shook his head slightly. “Like I said, I did not want to get involved. But now that you are here, I think it is time to do the right thing.”
He connected the device to his computer and transferred the video file into Lawyer Daniel’s laptop.
“Take this video to the police station. It contains everything that happened that day. It will prove that Pastor Uche is innocent,” he said.
Lawyer Daniel stood up immediately, filled with relief and determination.
“Thank you very much. You have done the right thing. This will save an innocent man,” he said.
Without wasting time, he rushed out of the bank and headed straight to the police station.
Watch out for Episode 4
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