By PRECIOUS IGBONWELUNDU

A woman identified as Mrs. Nene Steve has been arrested by the police in Lagos for allegedly killing her maid, one Joy Okom, over the latter’s request for her wage.

Mrs. Steve is a resident of 18 Ogundola Street, Bariga on Sunday, April 18.

It was gathered that detectives of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence (SCIID) Yaba, arrested the woman following complaints by the deceased’s relatives that she was beaten to death by her boss.

According to Okom’s elder brother, Philips Ejeh, he got information that the woman beat his sister and hung her to death for alleged theft of noodles.

“She is from Benue State and started working as a maid for the woman in order to raise money to further her education. She started the job in January through an agent.

“She complained that her boss refused to pay her and anytime she asked for her salary, she will start beating her. She was planning to quit but couldn’t leave because of the total lockdown.

“On Sunday, the woman claimed she stole noodles and started beating her to the point of hanging her to death. The madam claimed she hung herself after she was beaten. How can someone hang herself and her legs will be on the ground?

“Instead of paying my sister for the job she has done, her boss killed her so she would not pay. The case has been reported to SCIID Panti and her body is in the mortuary.”

The Nation gathered that there were visible violent marks on the deceased’s body which made the police to doubt the suspect’s claim that the house girl committed suicide.

But the couple denied killing the maid, insisting that she committed suicide after she was beaten for pouring dirty water in the house and stealing noodle.

They told detectives it was not true that they do not pay the girl, claiming that her salary was usually sent to the agent while they gave her N10,000 transport fare on Easter Sunday and asked her to go because she was no longer helpful to the family.

The couple said the girl returned that day that she couldn’t find a vehicle as a result of the lockdown and was asked to stay till the restriction was relapsed then she can go.

A week after, she was asked to spread a rag she used outside but she held it such that water from it littered the house and in the course of correcting her, the madam noticed she hid stolen noodles under her cloth.

They were said to have searched her belongings in her room where they discovered more items she allegedly stole from them and then she was beaten.

The couple also claimed that after beating her on Sunday afternoon, the girl refused to eat when she was given food and also denied night food. They said it was in the morning they discovered her dead body when they went to her room to find out why she has not woken up.

Confirming the arrest, spokesman Bala Elkana said the woman and her husband reported at Bariga Police Station that their house girl committed suicide.

“When detectives visited the place and saw the position of the rope and how she hung up, they suspected a cover up. Yes, there were injuries all over her body which showed the girl has been tortured before rope was put on her neck.

“If she committed suicide as suggested by the family, how did she come about the violent marks on her body?

“The matter has transferred from Bariga to Panti for further investigation. The couple was arrested and they will charge to court as soon as the investigation is concluded,” he said. (The Nation)

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