20-yr-old steals boss’ N1.3m to build house for his family

The long arm of the law has caught up with a 20-year-old domestic help, Uweb Samuel, a Cross River State indigene after he was arrested for stealing the sum of N1.3 million belonging to his boss.

The suspect who worked with his boss in the Magodo area of Lagos, confessed while being questioned at the Lagos State Police Command Headquarters, Ikeja, that his boss trusted him so much and regretted that he ended up in police net after stealing from him.

“My boss trusted me so much. In fact, I had access to every part of the house,” he said.

According to Uwem, his boss, Mr. Ajadi Babatunde came back from a trip abroad some days ago and left cash in pound sterling amounting to N1.3 million.

Uwem said his boss left home some few minutes later but he did not lock his room, leaving the key in the door.

The domestic help said he later ransacked the room where he stumbled upon the wads of cash which he could not resist.

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“I counted the £50 notes and there were 67 there,” he said.

Considering the exchange rate, Samuel said he knew it would amount to a lot of money when converted to naira and said the first thing that came to his mind was to build a house for his family.

“There is no house in our village in Calabar that my siblings and I could call a home. So, I thought it was my chance to build a house for my family.

“I took the money before my boss came back home and took it to my sister’s husband to hide for me.

“When my boss came back and started to look for the money, he asked me and I told him I did not see any money. Even though it was just the two of us in the house, I insisted I did not take any money.

“Some workers were doing some renovation work in the compound. He asked if any of them entered the house but they said no. The workers said I must have been the one who took the money and started to beat me.

“They tortured me even though my boss did not instruct them to do that. I still did not admit that I took it. But when it got to a stage, I told them I would kill myself, my boss then told them to take me to the police. But his brother came and spoke with me gently, that was why I decided to confess.”

By the time policemen swung into action when they stormed the apartment of Samuel’s brother-in-law, half of the money was already spent as the man in possession of the cash had gone into hiding.

The suspect who was being paid the sum of N15,000 monthly as a domestic staff was in tears as he confessed to his crime saying he was sad that he betrayed the trust his boss had placed on him.

“I wish my boss would forgive me. I did not know this is what will happen to me,” he said.

According to police sources, investigations into the matter were still ongoing and the suspect would be charged to court as soon as findings into the matter were concluded.

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