Popular Nollywood actress Sarah Martins has raised an alarm over a devastating act of betrayal, alleging that a staff member she hired barely two weeks ago stole a whopping ₦3 million from her business bank account.
The Alleged Theft and How It Happened
According to Martins, the suspect, identified as Chike Emmanuel Osuagu, a 20-year-old filmmaker and sales manager, was entrusted with managing her brand and charitable work. The actress claims that Osuagu exploited his access to her phone to illegally transfer the funds from her Zenith Bank account.
The incident reportedly occurred in two tranches. The first unauthorized transfer of ₦2 million was made on December 22, followed by another transfer of ₦1 million a few days later. To cover his tracks, the suspect allegedly deleted the debit alert notifications from her device and sent misleading messages.
Confrontation and Public Outcry
After growing suspicious, Sarah Martins confronted Chike Osuagu, who eventually confessed to the crime in a recorded video. The actress took to her Instagram page to share the shocking news, expressing profound disappointment at the breach of trust.
She posted a public apology to Zenith Bank, retracting her initial accusations of negligence against the financial institution. Martins commended the bank for its swift response in investigating the matter once she provided evidence, including transaction screenshots showing the money was sent to an accomplice's account.
Social Media Reactions and Fallout
The news sparked significant reactions online, with fans and fellow celebrities expressing sympathy and outrage. Fellow actress Symply Tacha commented, expressing how terrible she felt, noting the suspect looked innocent. Other users lamented the misuse of a golden opportunity and the difficulty of finding trustworthy workers.
Sarah Martins vowed to be more cautious in her future hiring processes, stating her "good heart will not kill me" and declaring she was "done being kind." She promised to release more details about the incident in the coming days.
This event adds to a recent streak of challenges for the actress, who had previously tearfully recounted a negative experience with a movie editor who poorly handled her project.
