20th August, 2010
A man, Benedict Columbus, together with his friend Monday Udoh, both from Cross River State, have been arrested by the police from Pedro Police Station for allegedly burgling a man’s bedroom and wardrobe, stealing jeweller and about N2 million.
Referring to the complainant’s statement, Col. R.O. Yusuf of 8, Akin Ogunade Davies Close, Gbagada Estate Phase II, Lagos, said Benedict was employed as house help through his friend Monday, who also worked for one of the retired army officer’s friends on 15 April, 2010.
On Tuesday, 6 July, 2010, barely three months after he started working with the Colonel, at about 12 noon, when he and other members of his family left the house, he called Benedict on phone which he always did any time he was away from home, but to his surprise, after several calls, Benedict refused to pick his call. The Colonel therefore decided to go back home to see what went wrong and on getting there, the main gate was locked and the keys were nowhere to be found.
Luckily for him, however, he had a spare key which he used to open the gate, only to find out that the househelp had forcefully entered his room an two other rooms, damaging some doors and drawer and stealing one Metro PCS model ZTE Mobile Phone with serial number 32178345773; one Motorola open and close angular IME1358269002149051; one Samsung digi max A302 camera; one Nigeria International Passport, One America Green Card, jewellery, gold chains and rings, silver necklaces, earings and bracelets; diamond stone wrist watch, three gold wrist watches and pearl necklace all valued at N1.5 million, $225 and N168,800 cash.
Following the incident, the army officer rushed to Pedro Police Station to lodge a complaint and two police officers, Sunday Igbinidu and Sgt. Paul Bassey, traced the suspect who, after committing the crime, fled from Lagos to his home town, Wanakom, Yala Local Government Area of Cross River State, with the help of call traces from Zain mobile network. Benedict, who after stealing his master’s property made a call to his friend, inviting him to join him to enjoy the money.
The two suspects were arrested after three days with the help of the police in Yala Local Government and handed over to the police officers from Lagos, who brought them back and charged them to court.
During interrogation, Benedict said he gave his friend Monday N70,000 and his brother, Michael Columbus, while he gave the jewellery to his sister in Sagamu. The International Passport was forgotten in a hotel room in Ibadan, where he had lodged before taking off to Cross River State. Benedict, together with his friend Monday, were charged to the Somolu Magistrate’s Court 12 on a four-count charge of conspiracy to commit felony to wit stealing, forcefully breaking of doors, shelf drawers and ward robes, stealing of some properties valued at N1.5million, $225 and N168,800 as well as receiving stolen money.
—Lucky Lawal