Why I faked my death, by househelp - The Nation Nigeria

By Precious Igbonwelundu 

A 19-year-old, Margaret Ikumu, whose family raised the alarm over her supposed death and secret burial, has told police that she faked it to escape financial pressures from her mother.

Ikumu, who works as a domestic help in Ajah, Lagos, created controversy a fortnight ago after news of her death and authorisation to her friends Marvellous Mary and Nneka Buddy to bury her body without her family’s approval.

Ikumu created two fake Facebook accounts using her employer’s daughter, Dr. Nemechi Ugorji’s pictures, and also sent the photograph of her employer’s late wife’s body which she snapped at the hospital to her family through the fake accounts as her remains.

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During interrogation, Ikumu told detectives that she was tired of her family constantly calling to ask for money from her and wanted them to think she was dead so she could live her life.

“She has lived with us since October last year. We got her through an agency and the agent had our contact. We are surprised and embarrassed that this could happen. How can this small girl be in the house with us and then fake her death?

“She went ahead to use Nemechi’s picture and then our mother’s body. It is obvious she had planned this for some time now. I think she chose to implicate Nemechi because Nene scolded her once when she went through her phone,“ said a member of the employer’s family.

Police spokesman Bala Elkana said on Sunday that Ikumu told the police she was angry that her mother and uncles could not send her to school after the death of her father and so, she was working as a maid in order to save money and return to school.

“Investigation is ongoing,” said Elkana.