Househelp ‘demanded N4, 000 before stabbing employer to death with fork’

…Court remands defendant till July 30

An Ebute-Meta Magistrates Court in Lagos Thursday heard that a
househelp, Joseph Ogbu, stabbed his employer to death with a fork
after she turned down his demand for N4, 000, two days after he was
employed.

The State Criminal Investigation Department (SCIID), Yaba, Lagos
alleged that Ogbu, after killing Oreoluwa John, 36, also strangled
her 89-year-old mother, Adejoke John.

The police made the allegations while seeking an order for
Ogbu’s remand after preferring a temporary three-count charge of
murder and stealing against him.

Granting the application, Magistrate O. A. Olagbende ordered
that Ogbu should be kept in the Ikoyi Prison.

The court did not take the plea of the defendant as the
magistrate said she needed advice from the Lagos State Directorate
of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Miss Olagbende ordered that the defendant should remain behind
bars for the next 30 days pending the advice.

She adjourned till July 30.

Earlier, the SCIID said the defendant committed the offences on
June 19, at 10pm, at No. 4, Ogunlana Drive, Surulere, Lagos.

Police counsel, O. W. Ologun alleged that the defendant used a
sharp object to stab his Oreoluwa to death and strangled Mrs.
Adejoke John to death.

He also said the defendant stole his employer’s Toyota Camry
car, Gionee, Itel and Nokia phones, a power bank, a pair of
scissors, two cutlasses, an LG Plasma television set and a handbag
containing clothes and towels.

According to him, murder contravenes Sections 223 of the
Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011, while stealing offends Section
287 of the same law.

The prosecutor also backed the application for Ogbu’s remand
with Section 264(1) and (2) of the Administration of Criminal
Justice Law of Lagos State 2011.

Ogbu was not represented by a counsel.

But before granting application, the magistrate made an enquiry
from the Investigative Police Officer in the case.

The IPO, who did not identify himself by name, replied: “On June
18 2019, the deceased employed him as her househelp. On the 19th –
the following day – he accosted her that he needed N4, 000. The
daughter of the deceased now said ‘When did you come that you are
already demanding money?’ That’s where he had an issue with the
daughter and he used an iron fork he was eating with to stab her
several times in the stomach following which she fell and died. The
mother was inside her room hearing them. The daughter was saying
‘Mummy, mummy Joseph has killed me, Joseph has killed me.’ As she
(the mother) tried to come out, he grabbed hold of the old woman of
89 years and strangled her to death around 9pm. He was there until
around 2am. He then took the key of the deceased’s car open the
gate and drove out. He had earlier removed the plasma from the wall
on the parlour and put it in the car along with other items.”

He said the defendant was caught by security men on the street
as he tried to drive off.