By Ifeoma Ikem
A 19.years old domestic staff,Joy Adole,has been allegedly beaten to death by her employer, Mrs/Mr. Steven Fortune, in Lagos state.
The incident happened at their home at No 18 Ogundola street, Bariga area , on the 19th of April at about 20.30hour where the deceased and her employer reside
The deceased hail from Igede Ukpa Ochodu in Oju local government area of Benue State, was said have been killed for demanding the payment of her salary.
Brother of the deceased, Adole John, claimed that employer beat his sister to death and hung her to a ceiling fan, pre-suppose suicide .
Sahara Weekly gathered from the deceased brother that three agents brought his sister to Lagos to work as domestic staff to the employer
Speaking further, i didn’t know of the arrangement, i was told my sister was in Ibadan, where she is living with a couple to assist them with their house chore who will take care of her education..
“I did not know my sister in Lagos, until the ugly incident that she is working as a domestic staff and also schooling. It was now her I heard she left her employers at Ibadan to Lagos.
“I was told d she got the job through a lady called Sister Blessing, who connected her to an agent, one Johnson,who got the job for her at Gbagada.”
“My sister was murdered,a neighour who heard when she was screening for help told me that the suspected couple were responsible for his death”, he added.
According to him, She was engagedJanuary 10th by the family until April 10th,before she inform them that she is no longer interested to work for them again.
On requesting for her salary,the couple refused to grant her request until April 19th, she got the salary very late,but before she could packed her belongs and get to bus stop to board a car it was late already she did not get bus from the bus stop due to the lockdown .
“She decide to go back to her employer’s house and sit outside the gate,it was her employer husband who sighted her sitting outside the gate and called the attention of his wife who came out and to question her. From the questioning she told her ,she will like to know what is in her bags and collected the bag from her and found noodles. She rise alarm that my sister had stolen her noodles.
“immediately pushed her into the house and search all her bags,which the suspect claimed she stole her books, clothes and gold necklace.
The suspected couple beat my sister until she is not breathing again, they tied her neck to a ceiling fan in a room and call police that their domestic commit suicide .
“There is bruise all over my sister’s body to prove she was murdered. I want police to investigate the matter. We are poor ,my family need justice someone murder
Sahara weekly correspondent gathered from detective at the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence (SCIID), Yaba, a source suggest that hanging may be constructive.“We are suspecting murder, the deceased had bruises of violence all over her body,
The suspected family beat the deceased with cane and the marks were there. But, only an autopsy will tell the actual cause of death.”
Confirming the incident, Police Public Relations Officer ,DSP Elkana Bala, said that the couple had been arrested by the police and currently in their custody, pending the outcome of investigation.