A woman has narrated how a young girl was caught stealing their pumping machine.
She explained that she was taking a bath when the boy living with her called to her that a thief has been caught in their compound.
To her shock, the woman said the thief was a girl.
When interrogated, the girl said she planned to sell the pumping machine to iron scrap collectors for one thousand naira – a machine valed at N180,000.
Sharing a photo of the thief on Facebook, the woman wrote: “This morning, as we were preparing for church, something happened in our compound that left me shocked.
“I was in the bathroom, when suddenly, the boy staying with us started calling me, ‘Aunty, bia! Onye ohi batara na compund anyi!’
“At first, I was confused.
‘How? Our gate is always locked, and all our neighbors have their own keys.’
“I rushed outside… and what I saw shocked me.
“My neighbors had already gathered at the backyard, and this young girl was holding our pumping machine.
“Yes… our pumping machine.
“I couldn’t believe it. ‘How did she even carry something this heavy? Something even me I can’t lift.’
“I asked her, ‘Who sent you?’ But she replied in Hausa that she doesn’t understand English.
“So I asked one of my neighbors to help question her.
“That was when we heard everything…
“She said they usually steal things like this and sell them to iron scrap buyers.
“We asked her, ‘How much will they buy this one?’ She said, ‘₦1,000.’
“₦1,000… for something worth about ₦180,000.
“I was shocked and angry at the same time.
“One of my neighbors suggested we should call the police, but I said no. Even if my husband was around, he wouldn’t agree to it because of what happened the last time we reported a thief… they released him without our consent and still collected money from us.
“That experience really discouraged me.
“So I said, ‘Let’s not involve the police. Let’s take her to the king of our area instead.’
“But my neighbors were already angry. They said before handing her over, she must show us the person that has been buying these stolen items from her.
“Honestly, life can be surprising sometimes.
“I never believed a young girl like this could even carry a pumping machine, talk more of stealing it.
“Please, let’s all be careful and stay alert.
Some people come as beggars or even as shoe repairers.
“They look around, study your compound, and come back later to steal. Stay vigilant.”
