Housemaid Arraigned For Stealing N7m Property

A 25-year-old housemaid, Queen Onalo, has been brought before a magistrate’s court on the Lagos Island for allegedly stealing valuables of one Nneka Ogbuagu, her boss’ friend.

The property, according to the police, are a necklace, rings, clothes and bottles of perfume estimated at about N7m.

It was learnt that the housemaid also stole N30,000 which belonged to her boss, Lisa Ray.

It was gathered that Ogbuagu and Ray were neighbours and they resided on Agungi/Ajiran Road, Lekki, in the Eti-Osa Local Government Area of the state.

Ogbuagu, apart from sending Onalo on errands, also gave her a free access to her rooms.

The housemaid was said to have exploited the freedom to steal the property around 10 am on May 14, when the friends were not at home.

Some of the stolen items; three bottles of perfume, an earring, one silver necklace and 28 dresses had been recovered from the defendant, while others had been reportedly sold to some suspects who are still at large.

Onalo was subsequently arraigned on two counts of stealing before a presiding magistrate, Mrs. O.M. Ajayi.

A police prosecutor, Sergeant Daniel Ighodalo, told the court that the offences contravened and were punishable under sections 285 (7) and 285 (7) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.

The charges read in part, “That you, Queen Onalo, and others, now at large, on May 10, 2015, at about 10am, at 39 Agungi/Ajiran Road, Lekki, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did steal a diamond set of necklace and ring valued at N1.8m; a platinum diamond ring with coloured gemstone worth N4m; clothes valued at N195,000 and bottles of perfume valued at N105,000 – all valued at N7m – property of one Nneka Ogbuagu.

“That you and others at large on the same date, time and place, in the aforementioned magisterial district, did steal a sum of N30,000 from one Lisa Ray.”

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and was admitted to bail by the magistrate in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties in like sum.

Ajayi adjourned the case till June 22, 2015.