Ronke Kehinde/
The 89-year-old woman and her 38-year-old daughter who were murdered by their newly employed houseboy in Lagos have been identified as the in-laws of veteran journalist and former Chief Press Secretary of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mr Kayode Idowu.
NewsmakersNG learnt from members of the family that the victims were Idowu’s Mother-in-Law, Mrs Adejoke John and her last daughter, Oreoluwa.
The villain identified as 22-year-old Joseph Ogbu killed the women within 24 hours of his moving into the household at 4, Ogunlana Drive in Surulere on June 18, 2019.
NewsmakersNG learnt that Oreoluwa was an expectant mother.
Devastated, Mr Idowu’s wife, Sikeola, told sympathizers early today: “I’m extremely terrified.
“The joy of the Lord is my strength. Homicide is really horrible. In Jesus name, his covering of the resurrection power shall be upon us.”
The police had told NewsmakersNG that Ogbu, who hails from Oju Local Government Area of Benue State had confessed to the crime.
A statement from the Lagos State police spokesman, DSP Bala Elkana says: “In his statement, he averred that his employer asked him to clean the house at about 9 pm of 19th June 2019 but an argument ensued between them, which prompted him to stab her with a knife. That the shock of her death made her aged Mother slump and died. Considering the fact that they are dead, he moved some valuable Properties such as electronics, handsets and household items into the employer’s Toyota Camry Salon Car and attempted to escape to where he cannot be found before he was apprehended by policemen on patrol at Ogunlana pin-down point.”
Contrary to the statement by the police, members of the Odua Peoples Congress in the area claimed that they arrested the suspect and handed him over to the police.