Domestic staff, 22, kills employer, mother in Lagos

Chioma Joseph

Barely 24 hours after being employed, a male domestic staff, Joseph Ogbu, has been arrested for killing his employer, John Oreoluwa and her 89-year-old mother, at No 4 Ogulana drive, Surulere area of Lagos.

The 22-year-old suspect, who was employed June 18, 2019, had allegedly stabbed his boss to death with a kitchen knife on Wednesday night.

Ogbu, an indigene of Benue State alleged that the aged mother of his employer, who heard her daughter screaming for help before she gave up, also slumped and died after she found the lifeless body of her daughter in her room.

Investigation has it that Oreoluwa had asked the suspect to clean the house at about 9pm on Wednesday, when an argument ensued between the two, resulting to the stab.

Ogbu had after the killings, attempted to escape with a Toyota Camry Salon car, phones, television set, jelwries and other valuables of the deceased persons.

However, Luck ran out on him when policemen on patrol at Ogunlana pindown point intercepted him. The vehicle and other stolen items were recovered.

While commenting on the arrest of the suspect, the Lagos Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Elkana Bala, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) said, “On June 20, 2019 at 3am, Surulere Police Station received a distress call from No 4 Ogulana drive, Surulere that one Joseph Ogbu from Oju Local Government Area, Benue State, who was employed as a domestic staff on June 18, 2019, murdered his employer John Oreoluwa and her Mother, Adejoke John at their above mentioned resident.

“ The suspect confessed to the crime. In his statement, he averred that, his employer asked him to clean the house at about 9pm of June 19, 2019 but an argument ensued between them, which prompted him to stab her with a knife. He said the shock of her dead body made her aged Mother to slump and died.

“ Considering the fact that they are dead, the suspect moved some valuable properties such as electronics, handsets and household items into the employer’s Toyota Camry Salon Car and attempted to escape to where he cannot be found, before he was apprehended by Policemen on patrol at Ogunlana pindown point.

“ The vehicle and items stolen were recovered. The crime scene was sealed off and corpses of the two victims were taken to Mainland hospital Yaba for autopsy.”

Bala further stated that the Commissioner of Police, CP Zubairu Muazu has ordered the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Yaba to take over the investigation and charge the suspect to court.