Police arraign housemaid over alleged theft of N130,000 from employer

A 25-year-old domestic staff member, Naomi Tunba, was on Tuesday arraigned in a Jimeta Area Court in Yola for allegedly stealing N130,000 from her employer.

The police charged Tunba with theft by servant but she pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The Police Prosecutor, Sgt. Esther Emmanuel informed the court that the complainant, Asma’u Hamza of Karewa, reported the matter at the Karewa Police Station on Jan.28, at about 11:30 am.

Emmanuel alleged that the defendant, who had worked with the complainant for over three years, developed a trusted relationship with her and the family.

She said that on January 25, the defendant criminally took the complainant’s handbag, and stole her Zenith Bank ATM card.

The Prosecution alleged that two days after the disappearance of Tunba from the house, the complainant received a debit alert of N130,000 in her cell phone.

She said all efforts made to locate the defendant proved abortive until she was arrested by the police.

She said that during the police investigation, the defendant denied the allegations, saying that withdrawals of the money were traced to various POS operators.

The prosecution counsel said the offence contravened section 287 of the penal code law of Adamawa State 2018.

The Area Court Judge, Al’amin Diya, however, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N100,000 with one surety in like sum and adjourned the case until February 19 for hearing.