Chiemelie Ezeobi
The Lagos State Police Command on Monday arrested the duo of Fatai Williams and her younger brother, Yusuf Waliu, for brutalising and branding their teenage househelp with a hot pressing iron.
Williams and Wasiu, aged 56 and 29 respectively, were said to have beaten up the teenager, 16-year-old Kemi Leola, because she was purportedly lazy.
The suspects, who reside along Allen Avenue, Ikeja, alleged that they maltreated the teenage housemaid because she refused to embark on any house chores which she was contracted to do.
THISDAY gathered that Wiliams, a businesswoman, was arrested by policemen from Ikeja Division after their attention was drawn to the plight of the young girl.
In her confessional statement to the police, Alhaja Wiliams alleged that she got the service of the teenager through one John, who is an agent from neighbouring Republic of Benin.
She said, “The girl is too stubborn and always wets the bed at will and each time I try to correct her, she will abuse me. All this is happening because I asked her to kneel down outside as a punishment for refusing to carry out the house chores.
“Rather she went into the kitchen and attempted to consume a local insecticide we use in killing ants that I kept in the kitchen. My younger brother who was ironing his cloth then tried to wrestle the poison from her.
“It was in the process of trying to collect the insecticide from her that he flogged her severely with cane. She also got burnt by the hot iron during the struggle.”
However, refuting her boss’ claims, Leola said she incurred the wrath of her boss simply because she refused to drink garri soaked in water.
More details later
