An Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos on Thursday remanded a teenage housemaid, Mary Francis, and her boyfriend, at the Ikoyi Prisons over an alleged armed robbery.

The Chief Magistrate, Miss S.O. Solebo, remanded Francis,19, and Matthew Igwe, 31, who were accused of robbing the housemaid’s employer, Mrs Jene Ashinmi, at gunpoint.

Francis resides in her employer’s house at the GRA, Magodo Estate, Lagos, while Igwe is of no fixed address.

The court could not take their pleas as the magistrate said that she needed the advice of the Lagos state Director of Public Prosecutions.

According to the prosecutor, Insp Richard Odigie, the duo committed the crimes on Jan. 4 at 10 p.m. in the housemaid’s residence.

Odigie said that the housemaid gave her boyfriend information about her employer’s residence, and that they waited for Mrs Ashinmi to return from work before the robbery

“Immediately she entered, Igwe followed her,” Odigie said.

He said that the defendants robbed the woman of a Blackberry telephone handset worth N95,000, Sony Laptop valued at N200,000, and a Honda Civic Car with Reg. No. EG376SMK valued at N4.5 million.

He also said that they robbed her of other brands of telephone handsets, all valued at N250,000 and 3,500 Dollars .

The prosecutor said that the offences contravened Sections 409 and 295 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos State, 2011.

The court adjourned the case to April 25 for mention.

– Leadership Newspapers