Police have detained a 33-year-old woman for allegedly stealing jewellery worth more than $60,000 from her employer after working as a maid for less than 24 hours, as part of a wider criminal enterprise.
Ms. Alice Udey, who goes by numerous other aliases, was arrested at the Ikoyi authorities station in Lagos in connection with a theft that occurred more than a year ago, authorities said yesterday.
The arrest comes after an exhaustive 16-month search following the investigation.
According to police records, Udey obtained employment as a domestic servant through what appeared to be lawful means.
However, the maid disappeared the next day along with valuable jewellery belonging to her employer.
“This appears to be a well-orchestrated scheme where suspects pose as domestic workers to gain access to homes,” said a senior police officer who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the ongoing nature of the investigation.
“We believe Ms. Udey is part of a larger syndicate that has been operating in high-brow areas.”
After months of surveillance and intelligence gathering, the breakthrough case led to Udey’s arrest. Police said they were presently seeking to apprehend the remaining members of the suspected criminal network.
Investigators at the Ikoyi Police Station are inviting anyone with information on similar events to come forward as they attempt to dismantle what they believe is an organised criminal enterprise targeting affluent communities.
The suspect is expected to face theft-related charges, with further charges possible as the investigation proceeds.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
