Couple in Lagos Killed Housemaid Over Payment Of Salary

Detectives attached to the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Panti, Yaba,Lagos, have arrested a couple for allegedly beating their housemaid to death. 

The incident occurred at 18, Ogundola Street, Bariga area of the Lagos metropolis.

The suspects, Mrs. Nene Steve and her husband, allegedly beat their house girl, Joy Adole, to death for asking for her salary. 

The couple were also accused of hanging Adole’s body to suggest that she committed suicide. Adole’s brother, Philips Ejeh, described her death as shocking.

He said: “The death of Joy was unfortunate. I wasn’t myself when I received the news of her death.”

 Ejeh claimed that when he did his finding, what he gathered was that his sister was beaten to death by her madam and her husband when she asked for her salary, because she didn’t want to work with them anymore. “We are from Benue State. 

Joy came to Lagos in January through an agent. She decided to work so as to further her education.

She was allowed to travel because of the poor condition of our parents. “Before the incident, she told me she wanted to leave the couple she was working for because they refused to pay her salary. 

She also said whenever she asked for her money, the couple would beat her.” Ejeh added that when the beating was becoming unbearable for her, she decided that she wanted to leave the couple. According to him, because of the lockdown she was unable to leave the couple’s house. 

He said: “She had to stay back and wait until the lockdown is lifted. Unfortunately, on thi fateful Sunday, she was accused of stealing their noddles and she was beaten which led to her death.

“After she was beaten to death, to my suprise her mistress said she hanged herself. My question is how can she hang herself and her legs would still be on the ground without having anything to support herself. That is totally not true.

“My sister took the job because she wanted to further her education. Now she has been killed, because the couple didn’t want to pay her salary. Human beings are wicked.” Ejeh, however, called for justice. He said: “I don’t want my sister to die in vain. 

All I want for her is justice, because we still have aged parents back home. Her remains have been deposited in the mortuary for autopsy to be conducted on her.”

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Bala Elkana, said a woman and her husband came to Bariga Police Station and reported that their house maid had committed suicide. 

Elkana said the state Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, ordered detectives from the Homicide Section of the SCIID, Panti, Yaba, to visit the scene of the crime. He said: “When the detectives visited the scene, they suspected a foul play with the position of the rope used by the victim to commit suicide. Bruises were also found all over the body of the girl which confirm that she was tortured to death.

The boss decided to hang the girl up to make it look like she committed suicide. “Police have moved on with their investigation and a lot of marks of violence were found on her body, which suggest that she had been tortured before a rope was put on her neck.”

Elkana added that the police had removed the body and deposited it in the mortuary for autopsy to be conducted on her so as to ascertain the cause of her death. He added: “The matter has been transferred from Bariga Police Station to Panti for further investigation, while the couple have been arrested. They will be charged to court as soon as the investigation is concluded.”