Fraudsters hypnotise housemaid to give them employer’s jewellery worth N5.5m

A house help is in trouble after she was allegedly hypnotized into stealing her mistress' jewelry valued at over N5.5m.



An 18-year-old house help, Mercy Odita, has been arraigned before a Lagos Magistrate's Court sitting in Tinubu. Lagos Island, on two counts of theft after she fell into the hands of fraudsters who allegedly hypnotized her into stealing her mistress' gold jewellery and other fashion accessories valued at N5.5m.

Odita who works for one Ngozi Okeke in a house located at Road 8, Abraham Adesanya Estate, Ajah, told the court that she was accosted by one Peter and another elderly man in a market, on February 10, 2015.

The duo reportedly cast a spell on her and in the sedated state, she was said to have agreed to burgle her employer’s room and hand over the items to them.

It was gathered that her madam had earlier left the home that fateful day to go and attend to her sick mother and while she was away, Odita, who had earlier stole the key to her employer’s bedroom, gained entry and 'moved' all her madams fashion accessories, including rings, necklaces and wristwatches, and handed them over to the men who are still at large.

She was said to have delivered the items to the fraudsters at an agreed location, including the sum of N2,000 that was given to her by Okeke to buy some items for the kitchen.

It was only after she had given the bad men the items and they had vanished into thin air that the veil was lifted off her eyes and she realised the enormity of what she had done.

Upon realising the enormity of what she had done, the poor girl had to report herself to the Maroko Police Station where she was arrested and detained before charging the case to court.

The charges against her reads:

"That you Mercy Odita, and others now at large, on February 10, 2015, at about 9am on Road 8, Abraham Adesanya Estate, Ajah, did steal gold jewellery valued at N5,523,000, property of one Ngozi Okeke and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 285 (7) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2011."

She pleaded not guilty and was admitted to bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties, who must be gainfully employed and show evidence of tax payment to the state government while the case was adjourned till March 23, 2015.