Above is the hung body of the housemaid, Joy Okom Adole
THE Lagos State Command has arrested a couple, Mr and Mrs Stephen Fortune, over the death of their housemaid, a 19-year-old girl, one Joy Okom Adole. She reportedly died on Sunday, 19th April, 2020 at the couple’s Gbagada residence in Lagos.
The deceased’s uncle, Mr Eje Philip Agwu, told National Record in a telephone conversation that both husband and wife are being held at Lagos State CID, Alagbon for suspected murder.
The couple, National Record learnt, had on Monday reported the death to the police as suicide by hanging.
The police however detained both of upon suspicion of foul play after visiting the crime scene at the residence of the Fortunes when they were said to have discovered that the suicide by hanging story appeared not convincing as the deceased’s two legs were securely on the floor.
According to Mr Agwu, the family member who had facilitated the late Joy’s employment with the Fortunes had a day earlier been called on phone by Mrs Fortune who reported that Joy was being very stubborn.
He said in the course of the telephone call, the family member overheard Mrs Fortune beating Joy as her husband was pleading with her wife to stop as the housemaid must have learnt her lessons.
“When on Monday Joy’s madam called our sister to tell her that Joy had died, she immediately told her she was lying, that she must have died as a result of the beating she gave her the day before,” Mr Agwu told National Record, while insisting that the family is convinced that the couple is culpable and must have stage-managed the suicide to disguise their crime.
The social media is also agog with the story with many commentators questioning the illogic of the narrative by the Mr and Mrs Fortune. “The photo of the so-called ‘hanging’ doesn’t appear convincing as her two legs are comfortably resting on the floor. Also, where was the couple when she purportedly did that amidst the lockdown? Why would she hang herself over a misunderstanding over indomie noodles? Something is not adding up here,” a commentator queried in a WhatsApp platform.
Mr Agwu told our correspondent that he was at the State CID at Alagbon over the matter with some lawyers when his call came in. he said the police said they are still investigating the matter and therefore unable to provide any information to the family at the moment.
