A 39-year-old housemaid, Christiana Oyewole Bossou was yesterday sentenced to 16 years in prison by an Ikeja Magistrate Court, Lagos for stealing properties worth N3, 680, 000 from her aviation employer.
Bossou, who had pleaded not guilty, was convicted on three count charges bothering on conspiracy, house breaking and stealing.
The Chief magistrate, B. O Osusanmi sentenced Bossou to 16 years imprisonment without an option of fine.
Magistrate Osusanmi said, “the defendant is hereby sentenced to 2 years on count one, 7 years on count two and 7 years on count three”.
“the jail terms are without an option of a fine and are to run concurrently,” she ordered.
However, according to the Police prosecutor, Inspector Simon Imhonwa, the convict committed the offence on July 25 at Plot 3, Aso street, Ikoyi Lagos.
Imhonwa said that the complaint, one Edoleyi Andrew, who is a pilot, left his home in the care of his housemaid, Bossou for a book launch at Metropolitan Club Ikoyi.
“When he returned to his house at about 4pm, he discovered that the entrance lock was broken, his door left ajar and the housemaid was nowhere in the house.
“He got into the house and discovered that his jewelries and other properties were missing and he immediately raised an alarm.
“He thereafter reported the matter to the police and convict was trailed to her hide out and was arrested”.
Imhonwa further said the convict confessed, during interrogation, that she conspired with her brother, one Dennis, to rob the house during her master’s absence.
The inspector said that she confessed that she had a phone call Dennis, earlier that day, in forming him of the time her master would be off from the house.
“Dennis came to the house, alongside his friend, and broke into the master’s bedroom.
“He catered away with a sum of N415, 000 cash, and other items such as Rolex wrist watches, mont blanc ball pens, leather belts, 3 pilot cases and brief cases, designers perfumes and jewelries.
” He carried all the goods in a ‘Ghana must go’ bag and gave it to the convict to carry out of the Estate in order not to raise suspicions from the security guards at the entrance gate.
“She carried the bag containing the stolen items across the gate, though the security men recognised her, they couldn’t stop her since she was not a visitor but a resident.
” She further took the bags to Obalende where she handed it over to her brother and his friend, on the agreement of getting a fair share of the loot after sales were made.
“She was yet to receive her own share before she was apprehended”.
The offences committed is punishable under Sections 411 and 307 (a)(b) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State.
