A 35-year-old mother of two is currently being investigated by Operatives of the Gender Unit of Lagos State Police Command for allegedly locking her housemaid inside a toilet, before leaving for church.

It was gathered that a neighbour, who felt concerned about the ordeal of the 14-year-old maid, reported to the Police, who broke the toilet door to rescue her.

Neighbour’s account

According to the concerned neighbour (names withheld), “I had to report the poor maid’s ordeal to the Police as this abuse became a recurrent thing.

She is in the habit of beating the maid and locking her in the toilet any time she was going out.”

Vanguard gathered that based on the complaint, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ipaja Police Station, visited the house at Baruwa Estate and forced the door open to rescue the victim before the case was transferred to the Gender Unit.

The maid’s story

After her rescue the maid, who had injuries all over her body, said: “Since I started living with madam, anytime she goes out, she locks me up inside the toilet. She beats me all the time.”

Denying the allegation, the suspect, Mabel Okechukwu, said she locked up the victim in the toilet for refusing to follow her to church.

Her words: “On the fateful day of the incident, when we woke up I asked her to prepare so that we can get to church early, but she stayed in the toilet doing something else.

“After waiting for her for a while, I went into the toilet to check her only to see her doing some irrelevant things. Out of annoyance, I spanked her for avoiding going to church.

“In order to punish her for her action, I locked her inside the toilet and went to church. It was when I came back from church that I was told my neighbour reported the incident at Ipaja Police Station.

“I was told that Police broke the door to bring her out of the toilet.”

Similarly, the Command Gender Unit is investigating a case of defilement against one Nigerien national, who allegedly inserted his fingers into the private part of a 10-year-old girl. It was gathered that a concerned resident, who saw bloodstains around the girl’s genital reported the matter to the Police.

Reacting to the suspects’ arrest, Lagos State Police Commissioner, Imohimi Edgal, said that the suspects would be charged to court as soon as the investigations are concluded.