Thief steals Mosque mats from Nima Police Station

A thief with bravery yesterday stole mats from the Nima Police Station Mosque in Accra.

Mosque mats are usually joined together by sewing them, and on which the faithful, as they stand in rows, pray.

Worshippers who turned up for the weekly Friday congregational prayers were stunned to learn about the unusual thievery by a daredevil criminal.

As if stealing from a place of worship was not enough, the act took place within the confines of a divisional police command.

Stealing from mosques is not unusual because drug addicts, often referred to as junkies, and others who might not be addicts, turn to such places to steal items of value because of the ease of doing so.

The Nima Police Station Mosque is a favourite place of worship for public servants whose offices are located in the general area of the Ring Road Central.

Muslim personnel of the Ghana Immigration Service headquarters patronize the Nima Police Command Mosque, as well as the Muslim police officers.

The mosque has been recently renovated with extensions made to the main structure, hence an increase in patronage.

The joined mats are later separated and sold cheaply to mostly satisfy the drug craving of the addicts.

Nobody would usually question a thief leaving a mosque with a bundle of mats, hence the ease with which such miscreants go about the ungodly act.

The Nima Police Station being one of the busiest security centres in Accra, it attracts a lot of people—some of them, miscreants with negative intention for being there.

The command which hosts both a divisional district and headquarters has not been spared such thieveries in the past.

One of the offices, a few years ago, lost a television set to a daredevil thief and now the mosque.

A hunt is on for the thief but it is doubtful he will be identified, let alone arrested.

Some junkies steal nice looking footwear which worshippers leave outside the mosques.

Most mosques have created wooden structures within them where worshippers can keep their footwear so thieves cannot lay their hands on them.

Some of the thieves might not be Muslims but just come to the facilities with the sole aim of stealing.

—Daily Guide