A number of housemaids hired to lend a hand with family chores have increasingly more posed important dangers to their employers. Experiences of maids bodily and sexually abusing kids, poisoning, or even murdering their employers have turn out to be alarmingly regular. GODFREY GEORGE investigates this troubling development, uncovering the underlying reasons and the have an effect on on households
“Why would you urinate in my teacup? Is there no toilet in your room? Why are you this wicked?” thundered Aisha’s madam, her expression quivering with fury and disbelief.
The scene, captured in a viral video that trended on July 7, 2024, confirmed a girl in Abuja confronting her younger housemaid next finding the surprising operate.
The maid, a woman in her teenagers, have been stuck on CCTV urinating into her madam’s teacup.
Later acting the disgusting operate, she nonchalantly poured the contents into the kitchen sink and positioned the mug again at the rack.
The CCTV pictures didn’t finish there. On every other hour, the maid used to be unhidden sneaking into the kitchen, stuffing diverse meals pieces—milk, salt, rice, spaghetti, and extra—right into a cloudy bag, which she upcoming concealed below a desk.
The video additional detectable her opening the refrigerator, the use of her naked palms to consume saved meals at once from the plates, and upcoming returning the remnants to the refrigerator.
Later each and every operate, she would rub her palms on her get dressed and move along with her tasks as though not anything had took place.
When faced by means of her madam, the maid destitute i’m sick in tears, pleading desperately for pardon.
“Please, forgive me. I beg you in Allah’s name. I won’t do it again. Please, forgive me,” she sobbed, her expression trembling.
The madam, her persistence and believe shattered, remained resolute.
“You will be taken to the police station,” she declared, her expression company regardless of the emotional turmoil viewable on her face.
The incident, highlighted by means of the uncooked pictures and the emotional war of words, underscores the advanced dynamics and the breach of believe that may happen between employers and their home team of workers.
Reacting to the video, a Nairaland consumer, Level Zerom, stated, “The worst public to store in your house are strangers referred to as maids.
“You’ll by no means fulfill them, even supposing you punish her in conjunction with your personal kids, she’ll view her punishment as hatred and wickedness against her.
“The moment you finally send her home, you’ll be shocked at what she’ll tell people that you did to her, including raping or trying to rape her.”
Any other consumer, Omo Woke up, stated it didn’t appear to be the maid within the video intended any hurt.
“She is simply idle and grimy. She old the mug to urinate, blank it within the sink, and washed it. However critically, some public in third-world nations are a catastrophe to humanity.
“Humanity does now not deserve poverty, as poverty reasons oppression and human rights to be trampled upon. I consider who you can be in the USA/United Kingdom/Canada to rent a full-time housemaid.
“If you’ll come up with the money for one, she shall be well-paid and can know her rights. You’ll’t oppress anyone affordably like that, regardless of who you’re.
“She’s your staff, and if she does something wrong, the best thing to do is to call the police to settle the matter, not harass her. I hope Africa will work someday and poverty and illiteracy will end.”
Any other consumer, Elevation D, talking, famous that the younger maid used to be idle and grimy.
“That used to be an operate of laziness or dirtiness. If that used to be her personal mug, would she urinate in it, wash it, and store it as though not anything used to be improper? Why now not rush her tub within the kitchen or poop within the mug?
“She no doubt knew what she used to be doing and concept she may just escape with that irresponsible operate. Thank God for CCTV. It has stored many households from the sinister intentions of too many so-called housemaids. I don’t perceive the Hausa language, however the symbol used to be plenty to method my opinion that the woman used to be purely malicious with such an operate.
“Did you not notice that the cup was not washed with soap? She simply rinsed it with water and placed it on the table. She deserved to be first beaten and then returned to wherever she was brought from.”
He additional wrote, “It’s a global issue, and families must remain vigilant. What started as urinating in a cup could have escalated to something far worse. John believed that people must pray to avoid accommodating such evil-minded individuals in their homes. Families must be cautious, aware, and proactive in protecting their loved ones from potential harm.”
A rising threat
Lately, the function of housemaids in Nigerian houses has come below intense scrutiny because of a emerging flow of alarming incidents.
Experiences of maids bodily and sexually abusing kids, poisoning, or even murdering their employers have turn out to be disturbingly customery.
This development has now not simplest instilled worry amongst households but additionally highlighted the important want for stringent vetting and tracking of home staff.
The headlines paint a grim image: housemaids depended on to maintain kids and lead family chores were implicated in heinous acts. Those incidents disclose a cloudy aspect of home paintings that has lengthy been overpassed.
The tales ceaselessly start with a determined want for aid. Households, pressured by means of paintings and alternative constancy, search home staff to amusement their load.
On the other hand, underneath the skin of this apparently easy association lies a fancy internet of deceit and risk. Maids, some with undercover grudges or evil motives, infiltrate houses below the guise of help.
The twists in those stories ceaselessly contain a unexpected exchange within the maid’s behaviour, well-known to disastrous aftereffects.
Stealing with out forgiveness
No person conceived that 22-year-old Odiong Emmanuel used to be in a position to robbery.
He have been residing with the Attonis since he used to be 16. He used to be firstly hired to paintings as a gasoline baby sitter at a gasoline arise within the Bonny Island Native Govt Segment of Rivers Climate.
His people had come to reduce him off with Mr Fidelis Attoni and his spouse, Relief, to ‘assist with housework’.
“We noticed how issues have been going and determined that we must let him paintings because the well-known baby sitter in my husband’s gasoline arise. He used to be residing with us. We gave him an en suite rental in our habitat, however he eats from my kitchen.
“We placed him on a salary of N30, 000 and we still provided clothes for him and also sent money to his parents. What we never knew was that he was stealing from us,” Relief instructed our correspondent.
A couple of years i’m sick the layout, Mrs Relief stated she spotted that Odiong used to be changing into too defensive and didn’t need any individual to get into his room.
“We’d ask him to scrub the automobiles, however he wouldn’t do it. He began bringing girls to our habitat and it used to be changing into in point of fact uncomfortable for my children and me. I instructed my husband who used to be at all times away however he stated I used to be overreacting. So, I let or not it’s.
“In 2018, this boy introduced a unused telephone to the lounge to fee. We requested him who owned it; he stated it used to be considered one of his pals who gave it to him. Later our investigation, we came upon the telephone belonged to him. We dug additional and came upon he had hired a space within the branch and had absolutely furnished the park with a TV, an wind conditioner and a complete settee prepared. He additionally lodged two women from the neighbourhood there. One used to be already pregnant for him as I learnt. Her mom have been on the lookout for her for weeks now not figuring out she had long past to reside with him in his unused location.
“I didn’t understand how to way the topic. I simply referred to as my husband and instructed him. I additionally requested that he audited his account. What we came upon will trauma you. This man old to create a day by day contribution of N2000 in 3 playgrounds.
“His account statement showed he always sent N50,000 every week to a particular account number, believed to be that of a family member of his. This guy has been stealing from my husband and has started a building in his village. I cannot even believe it,” she stated.
The girl stated when Odiong used to be faced; he first lied about it and used to be performing just like the sufferer till her husband concerned the police.
“The auditor we leased had given us all of the paperwork that confirmed the wreckage he had achieved for greater than the 4 years or so he lived with us.
“This boy simply sought after to wreck my husband’s industry. He would create N500,000 and he would scribble N50,000. The man used to be a cloudless thief.
“My husband would be lamenting that the business was not making any profit and we were losing money every time. We never knew this boy was stealing from us daily and enriching himself,” she stated.
“We concerned the police who started an investigation, and the issues we came upon have been tragic. Later once in a while, my husband stated we must pull back the case. We did and we referred to as his public and despatched him again to them.
“To date, I have not been able to get over it. My family decided that whoever was coming to work for us would stay in their own homes and come from there and we wouldn’t have any affiliation with them other than paying them their salaries.”
When our correspondent reached out to Odiong on Wednesday, he stated he didn’t scouse borrow the rest from the Attonis.
“Don’t listen to them. I didn’t steal from them. They expected me to look tattered because I was working for them. They are lying against me. They thought if they sacked me, I would be homeless. I am not homeless. I am fine and I will rise again,” he stated.
Requested if he used to be into any day by day preserve scheme, he stated, “That one is not their business. Bros, I didn’t do anything to those people. They were accusing me of sleeping with their daughter. I did not touch that girl.”
Our correspondent reached out to the Attonis to proportion Odiong’s response, stressing the problem of sexual sex with their daughter.
Mrs Attoni, responding angrily, stated, “That boy wants us to send him to prison. If he dares us, we will send him to prison.”
Mrs Relief stated her husband enrolled Odiong in a sandwich programme with a faculty of schooling primarily based in Enugu that ran a satellite tv for pc programme within the branch and used to be substructure the expenses.
In keeping with her, he used to be in his 1/3 yr, finding out social research schooling.
“We celebrate his birthday. We give him money for Christmas and send food and money to his family every month together with the salary we pay him. He enters my kitchen and dishes his own meals. He cooks what he wants. He sleeps in my children’s rooms. I treat him as my own son. How can he be that wicked to us?” she queried.
On Thursday, Odiong referred to as again and requested this reporter to aid beg the Attonis for pardon, pronouncing that he didn’t do all of it lonely.
He discussed some names which were shared with the Attonis who’ve promised to rush the topic up with the police and their attorneys.
Ran off with employer’s children
In 2016, Mr Suliyat Azeez, a resident of Okokomaiko, Lagos, leased Grace as a home-help to lend a hand with family chores and glance next her two babies, six-year-old Kafaya and four-year-old Farouk.
Grace, who had lately set to work for the Azeezs, perpetrated the kidnapping slightly 24 hours into her act.
The kidnapping spread out when Grace, apparently below the guise of shopping for meals for the youngsters, took Kafaya and Farouk out of the house of the Azeezs and didn’t go back.
Upon finding that her kids have been lacking, Mrs Azeez promptly reported the incident to the police, triggering a direct seek and investigation.
The case temporarily garnered important population and media consideration because of its surprising nature and the vulnerability of the kidnapped kids.
It raised issues and questions on Grace’s intentions and background, in addition to the hazards related to using home team of workers with out thorough background exams or safeguards.
Legislation enforcement companies, together with the Nigerian Police Drive, introduced a customery seek operation to find Grace and safely recuperate Kafaya and Farouk.
Main points in regards to the eventual fix of Kafaya and Farouk or the apprehension of Grace aren’t broadly documented in population data. On the other hand, the Nigeria Police discovered the youngsters and arrested the offender who stated she used to be committing to promote the youngsters for a charge.
Abducted children, old them for begging
In the similar yr, there used to be every other unsettling case – Asmau’s. Asmau, a housemaid, exploited the believe of her employer, Hawau, to capture her two kids, six-year-old Amina and seven-year-old Rukayya, from Ogun Climate and subjected them to a moment of begging in Lagos.
Hawau had hired Asmau to aid with family chores and maintain her kids, Amina and Rukayya.
Trusting her housemaid, Hawau despatched the youngsters with Asmau to their grandparents in Lagos, believing they’d be guard and cared for.
On the other hand, Asmau had other intentions. Rather of taking the youngsters to their grandparents, she took them to Lagos and old them to beg for alms at the streets.
The youngsters, wearing tattered garments, have been subjected to harsh statuses.
Asmau compelled them to beg, and any resistance or show of emotion used to be met with beatings.
The younger women, Amina and Rukayya, persevered inconceivable sadness as they navigated the damaging streets of Lagos, a long way from the protection in their houses and the reassurance in their households.
Hawau’s nightmare started when she discovered that her kids weren’t with their grandparents as anticipated.
Frantic and determined, she reported the incident to the government, sparking a seek for Asmau and the lacking kids.
The case drew important consideration, highlighting the perils confronted by means of kids who fall into the palms of unscrupulous folks.
Legislation enforcement companies and kid welfare organizations in Lagos collaborated to find Amina and Rukayya.
The quest efforts concerned appeals to the population for info and a radical investigation into the whereabouts of Asmau.
The population rallied in combination, pushed by means of the hope of discovering the blameless kids and bringing them again to protection.
The rescue of Amina and Rukayya used to be a generation of holiday and pleasure for his or her people and the population. On the other hand, the shock they skilled left a long-lasting have an effect on.
Carer kidnaps three-year-old in FCT
In June 2023, in Abuja, a baby sitter who used to be stated to have kidnapped her employer’s three-year-old son used to be arrested along her accomplices.
The baby sitter used to be stated to have disappeared with the kid within the Gwarimpa branch of the FCT that weekend.
In an replace on Thursday morning, July 13, the boy’s uncle, Jesse Dan Yusuf, showed that the suspected kidnappers were arrested and the kid rescued.
He wrote, “On Saturday, my three-year-old nephew used to be abducted by means of his baby sitter. The abductors referred to as and threatened us to pay a ransom.
“We’ve been praying and trusting God. God showed up. My nephew is home, safe and sound and the perpetrators were caught too. Please, dance with me!”
Slim depart
In every other startling incident that spread out in Ondo Climate, Mr Nasiru Akinlosotu, a 63-year-old former medication bundle operator, narrowly escaped dying by means of the grace of windfall.
Mary Akinnifesi, a number one 4 scholar and the people’s housemaid had harboured a evil plot in opposition to her grasp to explode him off over a dispute.
She determined to poison Akinlosotu’s meal with rat poison, an motion that will have ended in horrendous aftereffects for his people.
The purpose at the back of this sort of drastic measure from a tender lady left each the sufferer’s people and the police baffled.
The cause used to be a easy scold for spilling H2O in the lounge the night time ahead of she used to be directed to organize dinner by means of Sikirat, Akinlosotu’s spouse.
Sikirat, a number one faculty professor who additionally controlled a store next faculty hours, had disagree inkling of the brewing malice of their habitat.
Blind to the grudge Mary held in opposition to her husband, she recommended the maid to organize beans for dinner and lend them to Akinlosotu.
Sensing a possibility for revenge, Mary allegedly determined to lace the meal with rat poison that have been bought to do business in with a rodent defect.
For 2 years, Mary had lived with the Akinlosotu people with out exhibiting any wicked inclinations, making her unexpected operate all of the extra surprising.
That night time, Akinlosotu, weary and hungry, returned habitat and requested for his meal nearly straight away.
The poisoned meals used to be promptly served by means of Mary, and as he started to combine the beans, he spotted an extraordinary odor emanating from the dish. In spite of this, he took a spoonful, simplest to spit it out straight away because of the miserable style.
Suspicious of the extraordinary odour and style, Akinlosotu summoned Mary and puzzled her in regards to the meal.
To start with, she lied, claiming she had simplest added spices to make stronger the aroma. Disillusioned along with her rationalization, Akinlosotu pressed additional, sensing one thing used to be amiss.
Later a lot drive, Mary confessed to her heinous operate, admitting she had beaten rat poison into his portion of the meals.
The revelation caused Akinlosotu to lift the alarm, inviting neighbours to eyewitness the surprising confession.
On the other hand, regardless of the gravity of the status, Akinlosotu determined to not press fees in opposition to Mary.
Femi Joseph, the then-spokesperson for the Ondo Climate Police Command, showed that Mr Akinlosotu had officially implemented to pull back his criticism.
Beninoise prepare dinner poisons 3, steals N51m
In March 2023, the Police on the Ikoyi Category, Ikoyi, Lagos, arrested a prepare dinner from the Benin Republic, 35-year-old Amoussou Wilfred.
He used to be charged ahead of a Lagos Magistrates’ Court docket for allegedly administering toxic elements into the meals he ready for his employer, 80-year-old Musibau Fashanu; his spouse, Jumoke, and their 3 home servants which led them to fall right into a sleep for approximately 5 days.
As they battled for his or her lives, the prepare dinner used to be stated to have old the chance to scouse borrow the couple’s homes virtue N51m and fled.
The police alleged that Wilfred additionally poisoned the meals he ready for the safety guy, Friday Agoh; the home aid, Theresa Odite, and the baby sitter, Margaret Dewene, which led them to additionally go to sleep all through which the prepare dinner carted away his employer’s detail akin to 5 android telephones valued at N1.9m; different gold jewelry, wrist watches, pc and cash all valued at N51m.
The police additional alleged that after the complainants recovered from the sleep, they reported the topic to the Divisional Police Officer, DPO answerable for Ikoyi Category, Ikoyi, Lagos who unexpectedly directed his split group to fish out the defendant.
The group swung into motion and next days of wisdom amassing tracked the defendant to a hideout in Lagos and arrested him.
Wilfred used to be charged ahead of the Tinubu Justice of the Peace’s Court docket, Lagos Island, Lagos on a seven-count fee bordering on tried homicide and stealing.
The defendant, alternatively, pleaded now not accountable to the fees, and the Presiding Justice of the Peace, Mrs Gbajumo Ayoku granted him N1m bail with two sureties in like sum.
Ayoku adjourned the case until 24 April 2023 for point out and ordered that the defendant be detained on the Ikoyi correctional facility until he can highest the bail statuses.
Killer maids
On October 31, 2023, the Niger Climate Police Command arrested 14-year-old Pleasure Afekafez, over the homicide of Funmilola Adefolalu, a coach on the Federal College of Generation, Minna.
Leave out Afekafez used to be the housemaid of the slain coach.
Dead body used to be killed at her place of abode within the Gbaiko Segment of Minna on Sunday.
A commentary signed by means of the Police Folk Family members Officer, PPRO, Wasiu Abiodun, stated the suspect used to be arrested on Monday at about 9 pm at a place of abode inside the Gbeganu branch of Minna for culpable murder.
Mr Abiodun alleged that all through interrogation, the suspect confessed that she labored because the deceased’s housemaid for approximately 3 weeks and he or she used to be laid off for an secret misdeed.
He additional alleged that next the suspect used to be laid off, she met her classmates referred to as Walex and Shrewd, narrated her ordeal to them and conspired to assault the coach at her place of abode.
“They was at the place of abode on Saturday at about 4 pm with a bike and he or she surfaced on the gate, week the coach opened the gate for her.
“Walex and Shrewd then entered, beat a dead body, collision her head with a stool and stabbed her with a knife introduced by means of Walex week Shrewd took every other knife from the kitchen, and stabbed her ‘severally’.
“She said the deceased phone and laptop were taken away, while they also removed the battery of the vehicle parked in the compound and fled the scene,” Mr Abiodun stated.
Mr Abiodun additional defined that on Sunday some pals and Church individuals visited a dead body‘s place of abode in Gbaiko Segment of Minna as a result of she may just now not be reached at the telephone.
Maid to stand hangmen for killing ex-gov Igbinedion’s mom
In March 2023, an Edo Climate Prime court docket, hordered a maid, Dominion Okoro, to die by means of placing for killing Madam Maria Oredola Igbinedion, mom of former Governor of Edo Climate, Eminent Fortunate Igbinedion.
The 25-year-old convict murdered a dead body, who used to be her Madam with a stool with intent to rob her of the sum of N100,000 on December 1, 2021, at her place of abode in Ugbor Family, Oredo Native Govt Segment of the situation.
The trial Pass judgement on, Justice Efe Ikponmwoba, who gave the decision on Monday, held that the convict, next committing the operate, additionally old story yarn to stoke the nostril of a dead body and thereafter, referred to as a cab guy to depart from the home early refer to morning.
The convict confessed to the police that she purchased Indian hemp, which she old in making ready foods for a dead body to weaken and explode her with out a effort, in step with the court docket.
The pass judgement on, due to this fact, held that with the proof of the pathologist on the reason for dying, proof of alternative prosecution eyewitnesses along with the convict’s confessional commentary, it used to be guard for the court docket to ship the convict to the gallows.
With regards to Persistence Okoro, elder sister of the convict within the case, the Court docket famous that the one proof linking her with the case used to be that Dominion referred to as her to tell her next committing the operate.
Persistence used to be, due to this fact, excused and acquitted of the fee of the offence of accent next homicide, accordingly.
Glance ahead of you bounce –Knowledgeable
A girls and kid rights recommend, Oblivion Chepaka, has recommended households to be cautious of hiring strangers within the guise of maids of their houses.
She recommended that respected home-help companies be old in order to not fall sufferer to thieves and abusers, accommodation and perpetrating sinister of their houses.
She stated, “A number of elements give a contribution to the prospective risks posed by means of housemaids. First, the inadequency of thorough background exams leaves employers prone to hiring folks with wicked intent.
“Financial desperation drives many to absorb home paintings, now and again resorting to last measures when confronted with harsh remedy or unmet expectancies.
“Additionally, the power dynamics in employer-maid relationships can breed resentment and lead to dangerous outcomes. It is always wise for every family who wants to hire the assistance of a maid to look well before they leap.”
A sociologist, Dr Olumide Adetunji, stated there used to be a sociological field to the topic.
He stated, “The sociological implications of those incidents are profound. Households are increasingly more distrustful of hiring maids, well-known to a stand in pressure and burnout as folks effort to lead with out aid.
“Kids, who’re ceaselessly the principle sufferers, undergo long-term mental shock. Kids subjected to abuse by means of depended on caregivers ceaselessly revel in deep-seated worry and anxiousness, which is able to impact their building and psychological fitness.
“The commercial have an effect on is similarly important. Households make investments month and sources in coaching and integrating maids into their houses, simplest to stand appalling losses when believe is betrayed. Clinical and prison bills bobbing up from abuse circumstances upload monetary pressure.
Moreover, the wider financial aftereffects come with a shrinking puddle of faithful home staff, as worry and warning pervade the marketplace.”
‘Vet maids to their teeth before hiring’
“If you happen to will have to rent a maid, upcoming you will have to vet them really well to make sure you know them to a immense extent. Maids are maids. They don’t seem to be people individuals. Deal with them as workers and don’t fail to be looking out.
“Some of them can make you lose your guard and they will strike. You will never believe the extent they can go,” stated Persistence Hart, a laboratory scientist who owns a home-help company primarily based in Port Harcourt, Rivers Climate.
Hart stated nobody must arbitrarily rent maids with out ensuring they’re well-documented and feature guarantors.
“Children are not maids. Your maids must be over 18 and they should come through an agency and a lawyer must also be involved,” she wired.
Set up CCTV– Safety skilled
A civil engineer who works with a satellite tv for pc corporate in Benin Town, Edo Climate, Mr Surprise Morgan, stated each and every habitat with a maid will have to have an energetic CCT V stationed in the home.
“These maids can be so mischievous. You will never know who they truly are until you are not there with them. They will beat up your children, invite their friends, and even abuse your children.”
Chepaka additional talking stated, “To mitigate those dangers, households will have to workout warning and due diligence when hiring home staff. Companies that lend maids must be regulated and held answerable for thorough background screenings.
“Employers should also maintain open communication and establish clear boundaries and expectations.”
Time housemaids play games a very important function in lots of Nigerian houses, the emerging flow of fatal incidents underscores the desire for vigilance and reform.
By way of addressing the basis reasons and enforcing rigorous safeguards, we will be able to build more secure environments for each households and home staff, restoring believe and safety on this very important sector.