A 26-year-old man, Matthew Edet, was on Tuesday arraigned in an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, for allegedly burgling his employer’s house and stealing property worth N14.5 million.
The defendant, whose residential address was not given, is facing trial on a 20-count charge, bordering on conspiracy, burglary, forgery, malicious damage and stealing.
The Prosecutor, Cyriacus Osuji, told the court that the defendant and others at large, committed the alleged offences between February and October, at Plot 15, Emmanuel Abimbola St., Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.
Osuji said the defendant broke into the residence of one Arthur Igbinedion, damaged and stole properties worth N14.5 million belonging to the complainant.
He said Edet stole three split unit air conditioners valued at N225, 000, a Range Rover car gear box, valued at N1.5 million and a Rolex wrist watch valued at 12,000 Euros (N4.7 million).
Others were a Rado wrist watch valued at 8000 Euros ( N3.2 million), a carton of Rose champagne valued at N38,000, a microwave valued at N47,400, a refrigerator valued at N790,000 and two tyres valued at N158,000.
He said the defendant also stole a Samsung phone valued at N118, 500, one deep freezer valued at N1.4 million, a gas cylinder valued at N38, 000 and a pump action gun valued at N726, 000.
The prosecutor said Edet also stole one Yamaha generator valued at N350,000, and one Nokia phone valued at N118, 500, adding that the total value of all the stolen items was N14.5 million.
Osuji also alleged that the defendant wilfully and unlawfully damaged one brief case valued at N600, 000, belonging to the complainant.
He further told the court that the suspect forged a document supposedly written by the complainant for the sale of the complainant’s Range Rover jeep.
The defendant pleaded not guilty.