A housemaid, identified simply as Juliet, has allegedly abducted the two children of her bosses who live on Gateway Crescent in the Magodo, Isheri area of Lagos State.
The 24-year-old housemaid was said to have fled home with the kids –Rafael (3), and 15-month-old Michael– who are nephews of a Nollywood actress, Kate Henshaw, on Sunday evening after their parents went out around 6pm.
Our correspondent gathered that the kids’ mother, Mrs. Onajite Esharegharan, and her husband, Elvis, had decided to go for a shopping on the fateful day in celebration of the latter’s birthday.
It was learnt that the couple had instructed Juliet, who hails from Osun State, to lull the kids to sleep before they left home.
PUNCH Metro further learnt that Juliet, the children, their grandmother and her nurse ─ who also lives in the house ─ were in the sitting room watching television, when the generator went off. It was said that the elderly woman and the nurse decided to retire to their respective rooms, while Juliet went upstairs with the children.
It was when the couple came back home that the household discovered that the housemaid had sneaked out with the children.
It was gathered that Onajite secured the service of the fleeing housemaid last Tuesday through a sale portal, OLX, where a visitor, identified simply as Omolade, advertised .
Omolade had allegedly posted a number on the website for those who were interested in a “humble” housemaid to apply ─ an advertisement to which Onajite responded. It was learnt that Omolade eventually took Juliet to Onajite’s office.
Our correspondent visited the couple at the Unity Estate, Ojodu, where Onajite’s aunt lives.
Onajite said, “After we came back from the church, the children looked tired and I told Juliet to take Michael to bed while I went to do my hair. He had not slept when I came back. That day (Sunday) was my husband’s birthday and we decided to have a couple’s outing. We told her to take the children to bed immediately because they were very tired.
“We got back home at 9pm. It was Abigail, the nurse, that opened the door for us. When we entered, everywhere was quiet and that was when my husband became suspicious because usually, our children would have run from upstairs to say welcome.
“She probably deceived the kids that she was taking them to their mum. Her telephone line and that of Omolade have been switched off since yesterday (Sunday). We lodged complaints at the Isheri Police Station and the Department of State Service. The police said it was beyond their capacity, but the DSS promised to track the housemaid down.”
Elvis, a businessman, said, “We just hope nothing is going to happen to them. We do not have any specific suspicion as to where she took them to.”
Onajite’s aunt, Mrs. Tina Obajuwana, said she was amazed by the housemaid’s action despite her calm look.
“When she was introduced to me on Saturday, I thought she would be a good woman. She looked gentle and hardly could anyone think she is evil,” she said.
In a post on a news portal, Nairaland, Henshaw urged members of the public to provide the family with information that could help in locating the children.
The post read in part, “Please help spread the news. My nephews (Rafael and Michael) have been missing since yesterday. These boys have been kidnapped! Lord locate them and bring them home safe and sound. Their parents left them at home briefly with the housemaid, grandmother and a nurse. The maid ran away with the children when the grandmother and the nurse went to bed. When the parents returned home, the children and maid were gone.”
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Kenneth Nwosu, confirmed the incident, adding that efforts were on to rescue the victims.
He said, “There are efforts to rescue the children and apprehend the fleeing maid. Members of the public are encouraged to give information that will lead to the rescue of the kids and reunite them with their parents.”
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