A housekeeper, Toni Aripko, on Tuesday appeared before a Tinubu Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, charged with theft of his employer’s 4,000 dollars.

Aripko, 23, who was living with his employer at No. 9, Kyalami Weadows St., Victoria Island, is facing a charge of stealing.

The prosecutor, Sgt. Andohemba Koti said the accused committed the offence at the residence of his employer, Mr. Jasper Nwachukwu.

Koti told the court that Aripko, while cleaning his employer's master bedroom, opened his wardrobe and removed the money.

“The accused later absconded to his village in Cross-River with the money after lying to his boss that his father died and that he needed to travel.

“It was shortly after the accused`s departure that the complainant discovered that the money had disappeared from his wardrobe.”

Koti told the court that the complainant alerted the accused's guarantor, Etim Aku of Jakande Estate, Lekki, who lured him back to Lagos after all efforts to arrest him had failed.

The offence contravened Section 289 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the section provides a two-year jail term for the offence.

Aripko pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The Magistrate, Mr. L.A. Owolabi, granted the accused a bail of N100, 000 with two sureties in like sum and adjourned the case till Aug. 31 for further hearing. (NAN)