A cleaner who connived with another cleaner to steal a jewellery box worth about N243 million from the home of an unnamed celebrity in the Lekki area of Lagos State has blamed the owner of the jewellery for their action.
The cleaner, Alex Obiyan (39), who was arrested alongside his accomplice, Ayuba Samson (29), by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad said he decided to take away the jewellery box when he was convinced that the owner would not help him.
The suspects were arrested by the decoy team of the RRS in Borno State, two weeks after they had escaped from the Lekki home of the unnamed celebrity.
Obiyan, in a letter that he left for the celebrity before absconding with the jewellery, described him as unreliable.
Obiyan said he had come to realise that the celebrity was not someone who could help other people as he kept on promising to assist him but never fulfilled the promises.
Items carted away by the domestic staff include a Cuban diamond neck chain, Frank Muller and Rolex wristwatches, all valued at about N243 million.
The suspects were arrested after they had sold the Cuban diamond neck chain and the Frank Muller wristwatch for N6 million and N4 million respectively in Lagos and Abuja.
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Obiyan had been working with his boss for about eight years and was earning N80,000 monthly, while his accomplice was just employed about two months ago.
The suspects, who were captured on CCTV leaving the celebrity’s residence, have confessed to stealing the items.
Obiyan said: “I have been working with him (celebrity) in Lekki for over eight years. I am used to moving those valuables around the house wherever I found them. I had never thought of stealing them.
“When Samson came and saw me with the gold chain-laced with diamonds, he convinced me that we could make a fortune from stealing them. He had just been employed and within two months of his arrival, we planned to steal these things.
“We then stole the chain along with the Frank Moller wristwatch and a Rolex wristwatch. We sold the Cuban diamond chain at Eti-Osa for N6 million before escaping.
“The following day, we escaped to Abuja, where we bought a Toyota Corolla. We sold the Frank Muller watch in Abuja for N4 million to raise more money for our escape to Borno State, where we intended to start life afresh.”
The suspects were arrested in Maiduguri in the two-room and parlour they rented. Also arrested with them were the buyers of the stolen items, Haruna Abdullahi and Abubakar Buhari.
Recovered from the suspects were a Rolex watch, two brand new Keke Napep.
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