By Josephine Agbonkhese, Anino Aganbi & Chris Onuoha

The spate of murders of women by domestic staff has assumed a new and dangerous dimension in recent years within the Nigerian society. These domestic staff who mostly work for a syndicate, seem to usually target wealthy women who live alone…and their motive is usually sinister- to rob their employers of their jewelry and money after working for some months. In extreme cases, they resort to killing.

A case that readily comes to mind was the gruesome murder of Lagos businesswoman and socialite, Mrs Olayiwola Adeola (nee craig), who was found in a pool of her own blood in December 2014. Adeola, 61, was allegedly murdered by her houseboy.

Recall also the case of 50-year-old businesswoman, Mabel Okafor, whose decomposing body was found in her apartment last August at Victoria Garden City, VGC, in Lagos.

Okafor was allegedly stabbed to death by her gateman, following an argument over the latter’s salary. The man with an undisclosed identity was said to have resumed work only about two months ago.

Also in 2014, there was the case of late Njideka Lizzy Nzewe, a 39-year-old mother of four who was strangled to death in her apartment at Green Estate, Amuwo-Odofin, Lagos, by her 33-year-old lover, Kelechi Williams, who thereafter made away with her valuables and car.

The most recent incidence uncovered also sent shivers down the spines of everyone who read or heard the story.

It was that of Dr. (Mrs.) Edith Chinedu Aliyu, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Grants Micro Finance Bank and Proprietress of Chelson Group of Schools, all in Abuja.

Late Dr. Aliyu was allegedly murdered in June by her driver, 27-year-old Ali Angba, and three others. The driver masterminded her kidnap for N5 million ransom but eventually ordered her death when she recognised one of the gang members as her driver’s friend. She was raped, killed and buried! Yet, the ransom was paid by her relatives who believed she was still alive. Angba confessed that his only reason for orchestrating the kidnap was because he noticed the madam was very “rich”.

Many more cases abound.

A common feature

A close analysis however points out a common feature in all of these cases, and that’s the fact that some of these women lived alone with these “strangers” employed as domestic staff, while some had an intimate relationship with their killers, like in the case of Nzewe who obviously had no inkling of her lover’s killer-background.

In late Adeola’a case for instance, investigation revealed that she stayed alone in the main house, while her two domestic staff- driver and houseboy- lived in the staff quarters.

Late Okafor, it was revealed, also lived alone in her palatial duplex at VGC, and had no other domestic worker except the gateman.

Although that of Dr. Aliyu could not be ascertained, the fact remains that her driver snuffed life out of her.

The connections

Unless one puts these cases together to see the connections, it could be very easy to ignorantly view each killing as an isolated incident.  Putting them side by side, however, Woman’s Own identified a big issue- the   employment of domestic staff plus the live-alone trend which is growingly becoming quite common amongst unmarried, divorced and single mothers—most of whom hire domestic staff through syndicates without any background check or profiling with the police.

It isn’t African to live alone- SP Dolapo Badmus

Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Police, SP Dolapo Badmus, lending her voice against this trend, said, as a security expert, that the growing culture of living alone, without a relative, is a major attraction to such victimisation.

“It is not safe for anyone to stay alone. Apart from being attacked from outside, you might have health issues and need attention.

“Besides, it is very unAfrican for women to live alone. Africans live a community life; you will always see somebody who is willing to live with you. But if you are staying alone, who comes to your rescue when there is an emergency?,” she said.

Tips for hiring personal security

In her suggestions on hiring of personal security and domestic staff, SP Badmus said it’s dangerous to hire gatemen and domestic staff whose backgrounds you do not have.

“It is for this reason we tell people to ensure they profile such persons with the police. They should be people who can be traced.

“When people discover that you employed them without checking out their backgrounds and cannot trace them, they will tend to think they can get away with anything. When they know that they are traceable and you know their family members, or hired them through organizations that serve as consultants in employing domestic helps, the likelihood that things would go wrong are minimal because these must have done a background check before sending them out to homes to be employed. And if anything goes wrong, these organizations can be held responsible.”

Everyone should be wise- Agbonika

Further emphasizing the need for wisdom when hiring personal security personnel, former Divisional Police Officer, DPO, Festac Division, Lagos, currently Area Commander in Ekiti State, Monday Agbonika, explained: “The Nigerian Police is trying its best but individuals must also be cautious and wise.

“Although women might be weaker by virtue of their physical strength, all incidents are treated the same because there is no law that gives special treatment to any gender. This is because anybody can be vulnerable at any time.

“The only special treatment a woman gets is when she is in a relationship and domestic violence is involved. In this case, we will find a way of making sure the perpetrator is punished.”