Beninoise Cook Remanded For Allegedly Stealing Employer’s N50m Jewellery

PAUL IYOGHOJIE

Operatives  of the Nigerian Police Zone 2 Command, Lagos have arrested a 45 years old Beninoise Cook, Raphael Sunday and charged him before a Lagos Magistrate’s Court for allegedly stealing his employer’s jewelries valued at N50 million.

Police said the defendant allegedly perpetrated the theft at Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue, Victoria Island, Lagos where he resides with his employer, Kikelomo Mesubi, who left him at home on trust and travelled abroad.

Police claimed that the defendant allegedly used a spare key to open his employer’s bedroom to steal the items and went to Ikotun area of Lagos to allegedly sell the jewelries for the sum of N2 million and fled to Benin Republic to squandered the money.

Police further said that when the complainant arrived from her trip abroad,she discovered that her room had been tampered with and her jewelries were missing while Sunday, her cook, was nowhere to be found and his phone was no longer going through.

Following the development, the complainant petioned the Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG Adegoke Fayoade incharge of Zone 2 Command, Lagos now a Deputy  Inspector General of Police, DIG who gave a marching order to his crack team to fish out the fleeing cook.

The Police team swung into action and tracked the cook to a hideout in Badagry area of Lagos and arrested him.

After investigation by Inspector Iyen Alhassan and his team, the defendant was charged before the Igbosere Magistrate’s Court at the Tinubu Court, Lagos Island, Lagos on a two count charge bordering on stealing.

Police prosecutor, Inspector Duru Adekule told the Court in the charge that the defendant committed the offence between 18 and 25 April, 2025 at Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Adekunle informed the court that the complainant left the defendant at home on trust as his cook and travelled abroad and that before she returned, the defendant used a spare key to gain access into his employer’s room to steal the jewelries and fled to Benin Republic to spend the money before he was tracked and arrested at badagry area of Lagos State.

He said the offences, the defendant committed were punishable under sections 287(7) and 328(1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and his Counsel, Barr Augustine Okeh prayed the Court to grant the defendant bail on liberal terms promising  that the defendant would  not jump bail if granted, adding that the defendant have served his employer for ten years without any complain before the alleged theft allegations.

Chief Magistrate O.O Olatunji granted him bail in the sum of N5 million with two surties in like sum.