Joy Adole: ‘Maid was killed, suicide staged’ – Court jails Lagos couple

Steve and Fortune Nwankwo have been sentenced to 16 years combined imprisonment for the manslaughter of their maid, Joy Adole.

An agent had taken the late teenager, an indigene of Benue State, to Lagos State for domestic work.

DAILY POST reported the incident which occurred in April 2020 at 18, Ogundola Street, Bariga.

Justice Oyindamola Ogala of the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, found the Nwankwos guilty of conspiracy and manslaughter.

The judge delivered judgment in police suit no ID/13178C/20 against the husband and wife.

Justice Ogala held that the prosecution proved the charges of manslaughter, conspiracy and attempt to pervert justice and misconduct beyond doubt.

The judge said the testimonies of the prosecution witnesses were strong and corroborated the fact that the maid died due to the beating by Fortune.

The first defendant, according to Justice Ogala, assaulted Joy which caused her death as she had not been feeling well before that day.

The court deplored that the convicts did not inform or call the family of the deceased from 5am when they found out she had died.

It was until noon that Steve called Joy’s sister to request her full name and other personal information before her embalming in the morgue.

Justice Ogala said Steve, having found out that his wife “had killed the deceased due to the beating, assisted her in perverting the course of justice by hanging the body”.

“The hanging was staged, the deceased was hanged by a rope and the position the police found her body did not depict suicide as her feet were on the floor”, she noted.

The defendants tampered with evidence when they embalmed the body, which made it difficult for the toxicologist to carry out an autopsy”, the judge added.

Fortune was sentenced to 14 years in prison, while Steve bagged two years imprisonment.

Police Arrest Woman For Torturing Maid To Death In Lagos

It was learnt that the incident happened at 107 Femi Keller Street at Ago Palace Way in Okota, Lagos, where Mrs. Onyengo resided with the deceased.

It was learnt that after the victim died, Mrs. Onyengo hurriedly carried her corpse, travelled to the eastern part of the country and buried her in order to cover her track.

The late Ifunanya was a primary four pupil of Kusoru Primary School, Ilasa, Lagos, before she reportedly had internal bleeding and was taken to the hospital where she eventually died.

The matter was brought to the fore following the complaints by a Non -Governmental Organisation known as Child Protection Network, (CPN), Lagos, in a petition to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Imohimi Edgal, who then ordered for investigation on the ugly incident.

It was further gathered that the late Ifunanya was brought to Lagos by the woman, Mrs. Ada, as a house help some years ago.

The petition revealed that, ‘’she subjected her to constant beating and torture and was said to have inflicted injuries on her using grounded pepper, sticks and other objects.

‘’The injuries were so much that she was taken to an undisclosed hospital where she eventually died. Mrs. Onyengo was said to have rushed her body home and buried her.’’

But their neighbours and people in the school Ifunanya attended were aware of her condition and reported to the police who began to look for Mrs. Ada Onyengo to explain her role in the death of the house maid.

It was further learnt that the Divisional Police Officer, (DPO), A. Oyin, a Chief Superintendent of Police who led her team to the house did not meet the suspect as she was said to have gone to the market.

The police was said to have contacted her on phone and was asked to report to the station. She was said to have reported herself to the police for interrogation.

It was gathered that when the police went to the house, some of the residents escaped while others jumped through the fence because they knew what had happened to the victim and were said to be afraid that they might be asked to come and explain how Ifunanya was tortured to death by their neighbour.

Two Women Arrested For Pouring Hot Water On 10-year-old Maid In Anambra (Graphic Photo)

It would be recalled that on the 5/1/2021 at about 1015:am, following a formal complaint of child abuse and grievous assault, police operatives attached to Oko Police Station arrested one Nneka Ayaene ‘f’ aged 34 years and Chinenye Okoh ‘f’ aged 22 years of Ndiowu town in Orumba North LGA of Anambra State.

Suspects allegedly assaulted their house help one Chidimma Nworie Ani ‘f’ aged about 10years by pouring her hot water which caused her injuries all over her body due to her inability to wait and return the bowl of water she brought for the suspects.

Meanwhile, police operatives visited the scene and rushed the victim to Best Hospital Oko for medical attention where she is presently responding to treatment.

Consequently, the suspects have been charged to magistrate court Nanka for prosecution after conclusion of investigation. Case adjourned to 10/2/2021 and suspects remanded at the Correctional Centre Onitsha.

*CSP Haruna Mohammed,PPRO* Anambra State Police Command,
For-Commissioner of Police Anambra State Command.

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