Nollywood actress Sarah Martins has raised alarm after alleging that a newly hired employee stole a staggering ₦3 million from her business bank account barely weeks after gaining her trust.
The shocking accusation, which the actress described as a deep betrayal, has sparked outrage and heated reactions across social media.
According to Martins in a post shared on her Instagram page on Tuesday, the suspect, identified as Chike Emmanuel Osuagu, a 20-year-old filmmaker and sales manager, was employed to assist with her brand operations and charitable initiatives. However, what began as a professional relationship allegedly turned into a nightmare when suspicious withdrawals were discovered in her Zenith Bank account.
The actress claimed that the first unauthorized transfer of ₦2 million occurred on December 22, while she was at home in the kitchen with fellow reality star Symply Tacha. She further alleged that an additional ₦1 million was withdrawn days later while she was busy cooking for members of the Ratel gang, bringing the total loss to ₦3 million.
Martins explained that the suspect allegedly gained access to her phone due to his role as her videographer and sales manager. She accused him of secretly entering her Zenith Bank app, transferring the funds, and then deleting debit alert notifications to prevent her from noticing the transactions immediately.
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After growing suspicious over the missing funds, Martins said she confronted Chike, who allegedly confessed to the crime in a recorded video. She backed up her claims by sharing screenshots of the transaction history, which reportedly showed that the stolen funds were transferred to an accomplice’s bank account.
The actress further alleged that Chike attempted to cover his tracks by sending misleading and threatening messages, creating confusion while the money was being siphoned from her account. The revelations triggered widespread sympathy online, with fans condemning the alleged act as heartless and calculating.
In the heat of the incident, Martins initially accused Zenith Bank of negligence but later issued a public apology after the bank reportedly acted swiftly to investigate the matter. Commending the institution’s response, she admitted that the breach was internal and not the bank’s fault.
Expressing heartbreak and regret, Martins vowed to be more cautious in the future, lamenting what she described as her “good heart.”
In an emotional Instagram post, she wrote: “A staff I hired barely two weeks ago hacked into my Zenith Bank account and stole ₦3m… My good heart will not kill me. I’m done being kind.” She also promised to release full details of the incident in the coming days, warning that it would be “a long week.”