23-year-old arrested for stealing SUV, others: I feel terrible for my two-year-old child

Ikeja Police Division recently arrested Miss Deborah
Nwachukwu, 23, for allegedly stealing a Toyota SUV, cash and items
worth N1m. She tells DEJI LAMBO and LAWRENCE MIKE how she did
it

You were brought here for stealing a car, a
designer’s perfume, a wristwatch and two phones. What
happened?

I waited for him (one Patrick – the owner of the items) to
sleep. I met him when I was working at Shoprite (at Ikeja City
Mall). I was covering for someone that works there. It was a
promotion job.

What was Patrick there to do?

He came for something where I was so I walked up to him to
promote a detergent and some other products, to ask him if he
wanted to buy. So while I was talking to him, he asked if I could
do some cleaning for him and I said no. I said if he bought it,
someone would come and clean for him.

At his house?

Yes, at his house. We started talking and he mentioned that he
was divorced but had two boys. So I said okay. He said there was no
one to take care of him and that I should come and clean for him.
He insisted. But I knew definitely it wasn’t just cleaning he
wanted me to come for.

What else did you think he wanted you
for?

I don’t know, something else, to sleep with me and all that.
That was on a Thursday which was my second day of working there.
Later, he called me.

You exchanged numbers on the spot?

Yes, we did. He said he was going to call me to clean his house
so we exchanged numbers and I was just laughing about it.

We were supposed to meet on Friday but we didn’t. Then we were
supposed to meet on Saturday afternoon around 1pm. He called around
noon to ask if I was ready, but I was trying to finish up with
making breakfast. It was almost 3pm when I eventually got to his
place in Ikeja.

When I got there, I asked him if he wasn’t going to offer me
anything and he said no, we should play first. So I agreed. He
asked us to go into the room instead of staying in the parlour. We
went to the room, stayed there and had sex. Afterwards, I told him
it was getting late and that he should get me snacks. And after, we
could play and watch movies. We were already watching a Nollywood
movie.

We went to get some cookies, other snacks and drinks at a
supermarket. The bill was about N5,700 and he paid in cash. Then he
used the ATM and we went back to his place.

We continued with the movie. So while we were still watching the
movie, I noticed he was sleepy. I don’t know when I dozed off but
it was past 11 when I woke up. He was not in the room; he was in
the parlour. I went to meet him to ask if he was okay and
everything; he said he was fine and that he was just talking on the
phone and didn’t want to disturb me.

So I went back to the room and continued watching the movie. It
was almost midnight when he came into the room. When the thought of
stealing from him came, I looked around and didn’t see his small
wallet. It was probably in his pocket. So I just took the things I
saw around.

Was he asleep then?

Yes, he was sleeping. And that was past midnight. I felt he was
finally tired and decided to sleep. So I went to pee because I took
so much drink.  I noticed he was fast asleep so I thought I
should just take what I wanted to take and leave. I first targeted
his phones, so he wouldn’t be able to call because there were two
other people in the house; a woman and a guy.  I knew it would
be risky for me to just get out. I went outside to check if the
door was locked and realised the key was there. There were two
doors actually.

I took wristwatch, perfume, phones, and the charger for his
(Samsung Galaxy) S10. I quietly opened the door and ran out. My bag
was in the parlour with the cookies, so I took everything and went
outside. I locked him in the room and ran downstairs to his SUV
since that was the fastest means of escape because it was really
late in the night. So I took the SUV.

Was there no gatekeeper?

The gatekeepers were sleeping – both of them. I honked but it
didn’t wake them. So I got down from the SUV an opened the gate.
Then I went to my place.

But I couldn’t park in my compound because it doesn’t have a
parking space so I parked on a street close to my house. I had to
sleep in the car because I couldn’t reach my mum and brother on the
phone. I came down from the car around 6am and went home. My mum
didn’t know I brought a car home. I hid the keys and other things I
took from them. Even my sister didn’t know. I just felt I could
easily use the phone and tell them someone gave it to me.

So how were you arrested?

The police called me but I thought it was someone I worked with.
She [the person I worked with] wanted me to give someone a uniform
to cover for her at Shoprite. So I took the uniform thinking I was
going to give the girl standing in the person I was working
with.

What prompted you to steal the items you
stole?

The car was the fastest way for me to escape from the estate.
For the phones, I planned to use them.

After committing this crime, how do you feel after
being arrested?

I feel terrible not just for myself, but for my baby.

You have a baby?

Yes. She’s two years old. Daniella.

Are your parents aware that you are in
trouble?

My mum knew when the police took me to the house to recover the
wristwatch, perfume and phone charger.

What’s your academic
qualification?

I have Senior Secondary Certificate Examination result.

Why did you feel that stealing was the next line of
action?

I don’t know what came over me. I have been looking for job
since with no luck. I wanted to use the phone actually. The main
aim was to steal the phone but later, I started thinking of how to
leave the environment. I thought of using the car too.

What message will you like to pass across to
people?

Stealing is wrong and the consequences are not easy to come out
of. So it’s best to just manage the little you have than to
steal.

Culled from Punch