Lagos - A 35-year old housemaid , Prisca Obichere, and two others were on Wednesday arraigned for allegedly stealing N705,000 and setting ablaze her employer’s apartment.
Obichere, her boyfriend, Ademola David, 30, and Helen Chisa Okwu, 26, are facing a two-count charge of stealing and arson before an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court in Lagos. The accused persons, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The prosecutor, Sgt. Edet Akadu told the court that the suspects committed the offences on Dec. 26, 2012, at about 7.20 a.m. Akadu said that Obichere, who was employed by a former Nigerian envoy, Mrs Adesuwa Garrick, conspired with the others to steal 4,000 dollars and N77,000 from her employer.
The prosecutor explained that Garrick, who was to embark on a journey, had sent her personal assistant home to give the amount to the housemaid for safe keeping in her bedroom. He said that when Obichere was interrogated by the police, she confessed to conspiring with David to commit the crime.
The prosecutor said that the housemaid gave the keys of her employer’s apartment to her boyfriend, who later broke into the bedroom; stole the money and set the place ablaze. Akadu said that property worth more than N 5.5 million was lost in the fire at the envoy’s residence at Block C, Flat C3, at Nos. 4/8 Mc Donald Road, lkoyi.
He said that the offences contravened the Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos State, 2011. The Magistrate, Mr Bayo Sonuga, granted each of the accused bail in the sum of N 5 million with two sureties each in like sum and adjourned the case to Jan. 21 for mention.
- NAN