A trader, Esther Bello, has been arrested by the Lagos state Police for
allegedly abusing her 13-year-old househelp, Titi, in Obanikoro, Lagos.
According to Punch Metro, Policemen from the Pedro station were called
by neighbours after Titi ran out of her madam's house with a bleeding
hand that had been cut deep in 3 places. She explained that her madam,
Esther had caused the injuries and threatened to kill her if she raised
any alarm.. However, when the Police got to the apartment, Esther lied
that the maid had travelled to the Ikorodu area with a friend.
According to one of the neighbours who witnessed the incident, at about
1:30 am on Wednesday, the maid, who was said to be from Cotonou, Benin
Repubic, ran out of the house with a bleeding hand and told
neighbours she had been cut by Esther with a broken bottle.
Concerned neighbours confronted Esther and asked her why she allegedly
cut Titi with a broken bottle but Esther ignored them and Titi returned
to the house.
Then at about 7am, the neighbours went back to the house to check on
Titi to see how she was faring only to see her doing domestic work with
the injured hand that hadn't been treated.
After Esther told the Police that Titi was no longer with her. They
returned with a search warrant, combed the house then found the maid
bleeding in a locked room in the house.
Esther was subsequently arrested for child abuse.
Some officials of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response
Team went to the police station, and took charge of the welfare of the
girl.