Tobias Sylvester
A Beninese cook identified as Samuel Tchiki has been arrested alongside his compatriots for stealing his employer’s $22,000 (N7.9 million) in Abuja.
Samuel reportedly stole the money from the safe it was kept by his employer who is a politician, before embarking on a shopping spree with the money.
Other suspects arrested for the theft include Francis Kpohouede, George Akinto, Donald Tokpe, Honore Tokpe and Emmanuel Savi.
According to reports, the police only recovered $13,000 from them as they reportedly bought television sets, sound systems, generators and other domestic appliances with stolen money.
After being paraded, Tchiki told newsmen:
“When my boss, Casmir Anyanwu, travelled, I got my friends to carry the safe from his room and we took it to Mpape, where we opened it. We found $22,000, which we shared. I gave my brother $600. I spent my share on clothes and home appliances. I don’t know what got into me; I can’t say why I stole the money.”
Tchiki has been living in Nigeria since 2008 and reportedly moved to Abuja because of poor salary after working in a hotel in Cross River State.
FCT’s Commissioner of Police Bala Ciroma who confirmed that arrest, advised Nigerians to carry out background checks on domestic workers before employing them as he paraded the suspects who have all confessed to the crime.
