When Folashade Odunuga of 8, Ade Onitiri, Harmony Estate, Langbasa, Ajah, Lagos State embarked on a three-month vacation, which commenced on May 27, 2018, little did she know that her apartment would be broken into and her household property, including her car, would stolen by 18-year-old Tega Teddy, aided by his parents, Uroye Teddy, who is 45 years old, and his mother, Margaret Teddy.
Also fingered in the offence is Tega’s girlfriend, Karima Edom, a close neighbour of the victim, who allegedly passed information of Odunuga’s absence from home to her boyfriend.
The stealing had been going on for weeks until the victim’s house help, Eniola Abisola, visited her mistress’s house and discovered that a lot of items were missing.
Abisola could not understand how the thieves entered the apartment as all doors to the house remained closed.
She immediately alerted the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Langbasa Division, SP Adaobi Okafor, who mobilised her detectives to check on all in the neighbourhood whose names are in the station’s watch list.
When the detectives checked on Tega, they saw the stolen Chevrolette Aveo saloon car, with registration number AKD 512 AP, parked in the front his parents house at New Osho Layout, Langbasa.
He was promptly arrested.
During interrogation, Tega revealed that he entered the victim’s house through the ceiling and gradually he began to pack the household items to his father’s house.
He narrated that his mother helped him to hide the stolen items in an uncompleted building, while his girlfriend hid some in her house.
The suspect further revealed that his father went with him to the victim’s house to tow the aforementioned car.
It was seen that Margaret Teddy had put the stolen properties for sale.
Exhibits recovered from the suspects included: Chevrolet saloon car with registration number AKD 512 AP; 42 inches flat screen TV; LG Home theatre sound system; electric generator; one standing fan; five leather bags; iPad; baby shoes; and other personal items.
The Commissioner, Lagos State Police Command, Edgal Imohimi, has charged Lagosians to take their personal security seriously by ensuring that their houses are entrusted in the hands of trusted relations, friends or aides whenever they travel.
Imohimi admonished that people should go back to our old way of visiting their neighbours to check on them.
He added that if that was the case in this instance, Teddy and his girlfriend Karima wouldn’t have had the effrontery to cook, eat and wine in Odunuga’s house during her long absence from home.