Mrs. Maria Igbinedion, the 85-year-old mother of former Edo State governor, Chief Lucky Igbinedion, was tragically murdered in 2021 by her domestic worker, Dominion Okoro. The tragedy becomes even more painful when it is revealed that the motive for the murder of the octogenarian was to steal her trinkets and other valuables, which were gifts from her adoring children.
It was such a shocking incident that reverberated throughout Nigerian society, highlighting the danger posed to families by domestic workers. It underscores the importance of thoroughly vetting and monitoring domestic staff, as well as addressing potential issues that may arise in employer-employee relationships.
Before the tragic incident that befell Madam Maria Igbinedion, which threw the ex-governor and his siblings, Bright, Michael, and others into mourning, as their loving mother was sent to the grave earlier than her time by a domestic worker with inordinate ambition and a demonic mind, there had been similar murders of employers by domestic workers in Nigeria.
These include the case of Oyibo Amachree, a Nigerian businessman, whose life came to a tragic end in 2015 when he was killed by his driver and domestic worker. In 2016, Chief (Mrs.) Olusola Olubunmi, a 78-year-old woman, was also murdered by her domestic worker. Similarly, Mr. Tunde Sunmonu, a Lagos-based businessman, was killed in 2018 by his domestic worker.
By far, the most recent and most blood-curdling atrocity involving domestic workers murdering their employers or the children of their employers is the case of Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia’s daughter, who was murdered in Lagos. The victim, Dr. Aribemchukwu Ajumogobia, was found dead under suspicious circumstances outside the gate of their Parkview, Lagos home on Wednesday, July 31, 2024. Upon police investigation, a 21-year-old housemaid, Abigail Peter, a 35-year-old driver, Olatunji Oluwasegun, and a 45-year-old security guard, Umaru Mamman, confessed to murdering the young medical doctor. The trio informed detectives that they gagged and stabbed her in the neck, killing her because they wanted to steal cash and other valuables.
It is heart-wrenching that the value of the physical assets stolen by the domestic staff could not have been worth much, yet the precious life of a young medical doctor in her early thirties was snuffed out because of the greed of a few domestic workers who ganged up to commit such a dastardly crime.
Egbetokun
The alarming trend of violent crimes committed by domestic staff against their employers is not restricted to Nigeria. In fact, a simple internet search reveals that this crime spans the entire African continent and even the world at large.
Below is a snapshot of murders committed by domestic workers against their employers across Africa. In South Africa in 2019, a 79-year-old woman was killed by her domestic worker. Kenya also witnessed a case in 2018 where a couple was murdered by their domestic worker. In Uganda, in 2017, a 60-year-old woman was similarly killed by her domestic worker.
To put the epidemic of domestic workers killing their employers in a global context, in France in 2019, a 61-year-old woman was killed by her domestic worker. India joined this infamous list in 2018 when a 70-year-old woman was murdered by her domestic worker. Similarly, in the United States of America in 2019, a 65-year-old woman was killed by her caregiver.
So, what is behind the menace of domestic workers killing their employers?
The following reasons have been identified as factors behind these crimes. Prominent among them are greed associated with financial struggles, work-related stress, mental health issues, personal vendettas, as well as social and economic disparities characterized by inequalities in society. Other reasons include poor working conditions, harsh treatment of domestic workers by employers, low wages, exploitation, and especially the lack of background checks for domestic workers.
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Arising from the statistics above and the identified causative factors driving domestic workers to murder their employers—who are essentially their benefactors—the growing scourge of employers being killed or poisoned by helpers in their homes is a global phenomenon. This issue is fast assuming the dimension of a national crisis and is inching toward epidemic status in Nigeria. Only recently, the news broke in the mass media about how Ronke, the wife of David Edevbie, a former Commissioner for Finance in Delta State and a gubernatorial candidate in the 2023 election, escaped an evil plot by her domestic staff who had apparently spiked her breakfast with a sleep-inducing substance.
Fortunately, she had barricaded herself in her section of her Parkview Estate, Ikoyi home, having the presence of mind to lock herself in before falling into a deep sleep. Had she not done that, she might have been murdered by her cook, further solidifying the growing “domestic workers murdering their employers” syndrome. This notion is underscored by the fact that the Ronke Edevbie incident occurred in August, barely one month after the tragic July murder of the daughter of Justice Ajumogobia, also in Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos.
There are similar stories across the country that have made it into the mass media, as well as numerous others that did not. Take, for instance, the case of a maid in southwestern Nigeria who purchased rat poison with the intent to put it in a pot of soup that could have been eaten by an entire family. The whole family might have been killed if she had not been caught in the act of executing her murderous plot.
Given the grievousness of the scenarios described above, it goes without saying that the scourge—if you will—has raised concerns about the safety and security of households in Nigeria. This needs to be nipped in the bud before it escalates into an epidemic.
That said, the good news in all the gloomy narratives about the wickedness of domestic workers against their employers is that there are remedies or antidotes to the menace. Some of the solutions revolve around communication, due diligence, and training. In the wisdom of Miyamoto Musashi, a Japanese monk, sword fighter and strategist: “The purpose of today’s training is to defeat yesterday’s understanding.”
So, to minimize and possibly prevent future occurrences of such insidious crimes, experts advise the following measures for employers of domestic workers: thorough background checks must be conducted on domestic workers, open and effective communication and feedback mechanisms should be introduced between employer and worker, and domestic workers should be fairly treated (as some have been brutalized by their employers).
Employers also need to ensure that domestic workers are well-compensated and that their working conditions are not stifling. Training in conflict resolution should also be introduced, alongside enhanced security measures such as restricted access to certain parts of homes. This measure likely helped save Mrs. Ronke Edevbie from harm, as evidenced by her experience mentioned earlier.
The measures outlined above can serve as essential models for addressing the crisis in Nigeria. As the conventional wisdom goes, nothing is new under the sun. From available records of similar crimes committed in other climes, the recommendations mentioned earlier were applied in other jurisdictions where domestic worker violence against employers has been successfully addressed, leading to a reduction in such crimes.
For instance, countries like the US, UK, and Singapore conduct thorough background checks and verification processes before hiring domestic workers. In Nigeria, there is a glaring absence of such measures. The need for their introduction is underscored by the fact that the employee who killed Dr. Ajumogobia was reportedly newly employed and likely without thorough vetting conducted because there no organization rendering such services.
Currently, providers of domestic workers are informal, ad hoc, and even amorphous. There is a need for regulated employment agencies to vet candidates before they are employed. Think of the role that Credit Bureaus play in the financial services provider landscape.
Before their emergence, unscrupulous business people borrowed funds fraudulently from multiple lenders. Available records also indicate that most advanced societies have regulated employment agencies that ensure domestic workers are properly trained, vetted, and placed in suitable households. One would make the case that one of the reasons our country is experiencing an uptick in these crimes may be because such an agency does not presently exist here. Therefore, there is no better time to introduce one.
