A woman, Mrs Nene Steve, has been arrested by operatives of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department of the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly killing her maid, Miss Joy Aboel.
Nene Steve was accused of having beaten the maid to death and then went ahead to hang her in order to make it look like suicide.
The incident occurred at 18, Ogundola Street, Bariga, Lagos.
Miss Aboel’s elder brother, Mr Philips Ejeh, who said that the death of her sister has been reported to the Nigeria Police, soliciting the help of Nigerians to ensure that justice is got for the deceased.
Mr Eje said that “the deceased was an indigene of Benue State brought to Lagos through an agent. She started working with her as maid January 2020 through an agent. She reported that her boss refused to pay her and anytime she asked her boss for her salary, she will start beating her.
“She was making an attempt to leave the place. But due to the total lockdown, she remains there until Sunday when her boss said she caught her steal one Indomie noodle and this led to her serous beating, where her master hung her to death. The madam said she hung herself after so much beating. How can someone hang herself and her legs will be on the ground?”
“My sister engaged herself for the job so that she can be able to further her education. Now she has killed by her just because she doesn’t want to pay her salary. As I’m talking to you now, the case has been reported to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Panti, Yaba, while the Police have deposited her body in the mortuary for autopsy. The good people of Nigeria should come to our help.”
Spokesperson of the Lagos State Police Command, Mr Bala Elkana, who confirmed the incident, however said that Steve and her husband were at the Bariga Police Station to report that their house girl had committed suicide.
Elkana said that when detectives visited the place and saw the position of the rope with which Aboel allegedly hung herself, and her position, they suspected a foul play.
This was in addition to the fact that she had injuries all over her body, adding that this was an indication she may have been tortured to death and not that she committed suicide.
According to the Police Spokesperson, “Police moved on with their investigation and found a lot of signs of violence on her body, that she has been tortured before she put the rope on her neck. If it were to be ordinary suicide, how come wound and signs of beating are all over her body.”
Elkana added that the Police had removed the corpse and deposited it in the mortuary for autopsy to ascertain the cause of the death.
Meanwhile, the matter has been transferred from the Bariga Police Station to Panti for further investigation, while the couple have been arrested.
Elkana said that the couple will be charged to court as soon as investigations was completed.