Juliana Francis
Ms Amarachi Imoh, a domestic staff, has narrated how she was punched, kicked and slammed with an iron rod thrice by her madam, Mrs Janet Ezeayan, whom she described as a serial abuser of her employees.
Imoh ran to the human rights organisation Advocate for Children and Vulnerable Person Network (ACVPN), demanding justice. ACVPN immediately swung into action.
According to Imoh, she started working with Janet in September 2024, who resides in the VGC area of Lekki, Lagos State.
Imoh said she was employed as a steward on a monthly salary of N50,000, but she did more than her job description.
She said that her employer’s driver, who also worked as a security guard, got angry over the workload and quit.
Rather than for the Ezeayans to get new employees, they dumped more duties on Imoh and continued to pay her N50,000. She also said that the woman had not paid her January salary before the assault occasioning harm incident.
She narrated: “I was employed as a steward, but I ended up as a cook, nanny, security guard and Personal Assistant.
“Around December 2024, I told her that I would be getting married by the end of February and that I would leave her house the first week in February 2025.
“She said no, that I should leave the second week because she needed me to teach her newly employed girl, who was not employed, nor taught, how to manage the house.
“That was where my problem started. She started mistreating me, nothing I do pleases her anymore. On Friday, she asked me to go and buy bread at the shopping mall; I asked for an access code because at VGC, without an access code, nobody can access the security post.
“She said I was rude, that she would beat me and kill me and that nobody would ask her. She got up and slapped me multiple times on my face and then smashed my phone. As I bent down to pick up my phone, she kicked me. I ran downstairs, but she followed me, shouting that I should leave her house.
“I ran into my room and started packing my things, she followed me, beating, punching and kicking me. She suddenly grabbed an iron rod and slammed it on my back three times.
“I ran towards the gate to safeguard myself, and she ran after me again and pulled me back. At this junction, I had no choice but to pull her back so that she could leave me alone; then I ran out of the compound.
“I went straight to Ajiwe Police Station to lodge a complaint of assault and mistreatment against my abusive madam.
“ACVPN, I need justice because I discovered my madam was very abusive to her domestic staff in the past and often got away with it because she and her husband feel they know influential people in the society. I want justice.”
When an ACVPN representative in the person of Comrade Harmony Tachie got to VGC Police Post, the serial abusive madam refused to show up at the Police station, confirming the victim’s earlier allegation that Ezeayan and her husband see themselves as above the law.
Tachie said: “The perpetrator’s husband later came, trying to settle the matter, but the Investigation Police Officer (IPO) refused, insisting that the perpetrator must be physically present.
“It was at this point that she got angry and started shouting at the woman police, threatening her. The case was eventually transferred to Ajiwe Police Station for further investigation.
“The madam eventually showed up at 4 pm, after obtaining her statement, all parties, including ACVPN, the victim, the madam and her husband, were taken to DPO’s Ajiwe Police Station for interview, and the madam Ezeayan was detained.
“Medical papers were issued to the victim for medical examination and treatment reports in any of the general hospitals in Lagos State.
“ The woman’s husband suddenly told me that he had spoken with the DPO, and the DPO asked him to take the victim to a private hospital for treatment. ACVPN representative, I told him that the DPO could not tell him that because she knew the rules in as much as the victim is demanding justice.
“Surprisingly, the man and his wife showed no sign of remorse, rather, the husband insisted that he must take the victim to a private hospital since it was getting late, and the victim appeared weak.
“The victim was eventually taken to Doren Hospital Thomas Estate, where the victim was admitted, and the hospital said that N350,000 should be deposited.
“At this point, the husband had left us in the hospital and went back to the police station, looking for ways to get his wife released from Police Custody. I had to call to inform him about the money the hospital was demanding.
“He came back to inform ACVPN that the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), in charge of Zone 2, Onikan, Lagos, Fayoade Adegoke, wanted to speak with ACVPN. I collected the phone, only to realise that the AIG wanted to speak with the victim.
“He asked me to hand over the phone to the victim. For the record, as an ACVPN representative, I was not sure if the caller was AIG ZONE 2, Mr Adegoke. Everyone knows that AIG Adegoke cannot be in support of such a terrible crime.
“To cut the story short, the perpetrator’s husband said that nothing serious was wrong with the victim that warranted him to pay N350,000 to the hospital and that he would rather compensate the victim.
“The perpetrator’s husband was informed that the victim had not eaten since Friday night all through to 10:pm on Saturday. He ignored me.
“He asked the victim what she wanted; she replied that she wanted justice. She told him that was how previous house help and drivers were mistreated and made to pass through hell in the hands of his wife, Mrs Janet.”
Drama At Magistrate Court 3, Eti-Osa, As Serial Abusive Madam Collapses
The matter was taken to Magistrate Court 3, Eti-Osa Magisterial District, Lagos, where the magistrate ordered that Janet should be remanded in prison custody since she could not meet bail conditions.
Just as the prison wardens were about to move Janet, she collapsed, leading her husband and brother, who were at the court, to become frantic, dousing water on her to revive.
Imoh, who Janet slammed the iron rod on thrice, also started crying at the sight of the woman on the ground. The husband of Janet started pleading with Imoh to forgive and withdraw the case.
Tachie, who followed the case to the court, was furious after Imoh approached her and said she was no longer interested in continuing with the matter.
Tachie said that Janet’s faint drama was staged and managed.
Tachie recalled: “Imoh, whom ACVPN has been thinking for, suddenly did not want to continue, she said that her mom had repeatedly told her to withdraw from the matter. Imoh said that the madam had health issues and could die.
“ACVPN now appeared as the devil because it was pushing for justice for victims who no longer wanted justice. Imoh and Janet’s family went to the prosecutor, but I left.”
Imoh, clearly feeling guilty for the problem she caused for ACVPN by wasting their time, called to apologise.
She said: “I am so sorry for withdrawing from the case. I didn’t have the heart to continue because I saw her condition. I don’t have a wicked heart!
“Please apologise on my behalf to the ACVPN management team. If that woman goes to remand in prison, she will die. Imagine, she had not even gone to prison, and she had collapsed twice. I know that ACVPN fought for me, and I appreciate it. The good thing is that the woman has learnt her lesson.”
The court documents show that Janet was charged on a count charge.
Count one states that on the 14th day of February 2025, at about 22B House M47A. VGC Ajah, Lagos, Janet unlawfully inflicted various degrees of injury on Imoh Amarachi with an iron rod on her back, eye and shoulder, which caused her bodily harm and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 173 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.
