From minor thefts to organized burglaries, a hidden crisis is spreading within homes throughout the nation. Families are often finding out t...
From minor thefts to organized burglaries, a hidden crisis is spreading within homes throughout the nation. Families are often finding out too late that the individuals they depend on for everyday assistance—chefs, maids, babysitters, gatekeepers, electricians, and plumbers—are frequently the ones setting the stage for criminal activities. VICTOR AYENI explores disturbing stories from those affected, perspectives from security professionals, and the vulnerabilities that allow household insiders to cause significant harm to families who unwittingly grant them access to their security.
AsAn elderly man and grandfather, Pa Lanre Olayinka, required a reliable individual to assist in overseeing his family residence in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.
To locate trustworthy household staff, the 72-year-old turned to a family friend, who quickly connected him with Mrs. Esther Abiodun, widely recognized as Iya Ibeji.
Initially, Abiodun quickly captured the affection and confidence of the elderly couple. In her late 40s, she visited the house approximately four times a week, taking care of household tasks and running errands for the family. Her wages were consistently provided by one of the children residing in a different city, and whenever the other children came to visit, they would give her presents and money, commending her hard work and commitment.
Nevertheless, approximately a year into her job, circumstances started to shift.
It was my wife who initially observed that certain items had gone missing. Unprocessed foods such as garri, rice, and beans were being taken at an unusual rate. Later, items like cleaning agents, soap bars, deodorants, and even the toys belonging to our grandchildren started to disappear.
"I wasn't very attentive at first. Occasionally, things get lost, and we had faith in her; she even dined with us and sometimes brought one of her kids to assist," Pa Lanre said to Sunday PUNCH.
The appearance of a friendly, reliable housekeeper was destroyed one Saturday night when the couple came back from a wedding reception and found several electronic devices gone.
The electric power regulator, pressing iron, blender, and rechargeable fan were missing. Before departing, we informed Iya Ibeji that she could go home for the day and requested her to place the key in its usual location outside.
But we later found out from someone nearby that her son had come to the house and they left together with heavy bags. This wasn't the first time he had visited, so the witness didn't suspect anything was wrong.
When we confronted Iya Ibeji, she acknowledged that her son had come by but refused to admit taking anything. Some people suggested we have them arrested for theft, but we only wanted them out of our lives. We dismissed her right away.
"It was God who rescued us. What if she had teamed up with someone to steal from us and cause harm? Such incidents have occurred with couples of our age, and no one would ever find out. It's been more than a year since she left, and we're managing well. A selfish domestic worker can be very dangerous," said the person in their 70s.
Unskilled workers
This interaction with a domestic worker such as Mrs Abiodun highlights an increasing trend of untrained employees in Nigeria resorting to stealing, with many instances involving the theft of expensive items, cash, gold, and vehicles from their employers.
In Nigeria, untrained workers such as electricians and tailors, housekeepers, and those acquiring skills via apprenticeships play a crucial role in the economy.
Creating a significant informal labor force, artisans like electricians, plumbers, tailors, welders, and carpenters are skilled professionals who produce items manually.
Numerous household workers and craftsmen connect with new customers via recommendations from others, personal links provided by friends or relatives, and local networks.
In city regions, domestic workers and craftsmen can reach out to clients via agencies. Additional approaches involve promoting job openings on notice boards and online social media groups.
Last year, a new mobile app was introduced in Lagos to link verified craftsmen with clients, offering an online service for their hiring.
Nevertheless, the growing tendency of domestic workers and craftsmen neglecting their duties and turning into thieves has added more pressure on recruitment agents and those who employ them.
Store broken into, apprentice defends stealing
In April 2024, a fashion designer from Lagos, Sylvester Odili, got a call from a friend who introduced his nephew, Solomon Inemesit (not his real name), as an apprentice.
His uncle asked me to train him, and I immediately agreed since I was informed he already had basic knowledge and experience in fashion design. I included him among my other apprentices and took care of his food and other requirements.
After a few weeks, I noticed that he was quite difficult to handle. He is still in his early 20s, yet he seems rude to me. Because of this, I set specific limits because I saw he needed some structure, but I continued to train him, and my clients eventually came to like him.
"Three months later, he came back to the shop and said he wanted to leave and go back to Ibadan. I was worried. I asked if I had done something wrong, or if he was sick, or something like that, you know, the usual questions you ask when someone suddenly changes their mind. He said he was tired of working with me," Odili recalled.
He stated that Inemesit's choice to exit his fashion store was perfectly timed, as he was having difficulty keeping his employees and had a lot on his plate.
I begged him to remain, but he was firm, so I gave him some cash for his transportation. He glanced at the money with revulsion and exited the store. Eventually, he returned and stated he would not leave once more.
I spoke to him as I would a younger friend, and he seemed to be sober. He took his bag back into the house. At that moment, I needed to buy some sewing supplies from the market, so I asked him to handle any customers while I was away. That was my greatest error.
Odili informed Sunday PUNCH that upon his return, he discovered his work equipment had been stolen and alleged that Inemesit also took some of his money.
This individual stole some fabrics belonging to customers worth thousands of naira and took my work tools, which are quite costly to replace. He locked the shop doors and left with his bag. It felt like I was in a dream when I came back from the market.
"I contacted his uncle and informed him, vowing to report the incident to the police station. His uncle tried to stop me, claiming that he had instructed his nephew to return everything he had stolen, but to this day, nothing has been returned to me. It's a lengthy tale, but from that point on, I no longer trust any apprentice as I did before. It was a very difficult experience," Odili said with a sorrowful tone.
When Sunday PUNCH contacted Inemesit, he confessed to stealing from his previous employer but justified it by claiming he had been underpaid.
When my uncle took me to him, he promised to give me N25,000. During the three months I stayed in the place he provided, he didn't give me a single penny. Even though he was providing us with food, he didn't pay me.
He constantly watched my actions and spoke to me regardless. One day at the market, he mentioned that I had bad breath. He said it in front of others, which made me feel ashamed. That's why his employees quit, as he is very rude, and I realized my mental well-being was being harmed, so I chose to leave.
"When I told him I wanted to quit, he then gave me N5,000. What was that meant to cover? I remained longer than any other employee he had; I tolerated his insults, and he was offering me this sum. Is that fair? That's why I took the actions I did. He can't do anything to me because he himself knew he attempted to deceive me. He called my uncle, angry and making threats, but he won't get anything back," Inemesit emphasized.
When our reporter asked what he did with the tools he stole, he admitted that he now utilizes them in his own workshop.
A driver takes the boss's saved money for school fees
On November 6, an X platform user named Chuks (@ChuksEricE) shared a video featuring a woman who claimed her driver, Ibrahim Kasali, took a bag of cash she had been saving for her son, who is studying for a Master's degree overseas.
Showing a video that records the event, she stated that she employed Kasali in July of this year, mentioning that she compensated him adequately, and her clients also gave him money.
I wasn't aware he had a task. I didn't know how he was able to make copies of my keys. He took me to the office on Monday. While I was occupied at the office, he returned home and stole all the money I had been saving for more than a year.
All the money I had been saving for my son's tuition fees. I kept the cash at home since the last time his brother was traveling, we couldn't access funds from the bank. I have some money in my savings account, but we couldn't withdraw it, so I ended up purchasing dollars through the black market.
"This time, I made an effort to save money at home. During my events, people give me money. Some customers who visit the store pay in dollars, and I keep those instead of exchanging them. I have been doing this for more than a year. Ibrahim came back and took the whole bag. I don't know how he discovered where I stored it. He left with the bag," the woman said, becoming emotional.
The emotional woman mentioned she had been searching for the suspect for more than two weeks without any luck, revealing that although Kasali's guarantor, his wife, and father were arrested, he still did not appear.
The police requested that we let them go, and we have. I have employed trackers and accomplished much, but I am unsure who can assist me. Please, I simply need my money back. I don't know where to begin or how to regain this money.
"My son is about to start school, and I have been the sole one putting in all the effort and handling every possible business endeavor, just to ensure my children have a good life," she added.
In surveillance video from October 20, 2025, and shared by aFacebookZara Oyinye, a man suspected to be Kasali, was observed entering a residence with a key.
In the video viewed by Sunday PUNCH, at 10:02 a.m., the individual, wearing a black shirt and pants along with a black cap, ascended the stairs in the bungalow, seemingly heading towards a bedroom, and was observed exiting the apartment around 10:10 a.m., carrying a bag.
The bag he is holding in the video belongs to me," the woman was heard saying. "I'm sharing this so that everyone remains cautious because he's searching for another victim and another home to target. His phone is turned off, but we are certain he is using a different one.
In a post released by the same X user, Chuks, on November 7, a video was shared showing a man thought to be Kasali kneeling and apologizing to certain individuals, accompanied by a caption stating that he had been taken into police custody.
In response to the post, an X user named Ben Samuel (@flourish007) posted a picture of a woman he claimed pretended to be a farm worker and fled with his money.
It's more dangerous than ever to hire someone in Nigeria. Just this week, the woman whose picture is shown below came to my farm, stole 12 rams and a cow, and disappeared with my money after I paid her to provide four more cows. I'm still looking for her.
He stated, "The police are powerless. Who can you rely on in Nigeria? Not a single person — not even the government."
A similar case
In August, the Lagos State Police Command reported dismantling a suspected car theft group that was alleged to have used counterfeit drivers to steal vehicles from their employers.
Police Commissioner Olohundare Jimoh stated that the gang's leader, known as Chinedu Emmanuel, was detained during an operation that occurred on July 17 in the Ogijo region of Ogun State.
He stated that Emmanuel hired drivers with criminal backgrounds and suggested them to unaware car owners for work.
The head of the police force stated that the drivers seized the vehicles of their bosses following a week or two of working with them and then transported them across the border.
He mentioned that they occasionally took apart the vehicles in Ogun State and sold the spare components to dealers.
Shocking thefts
I didn't realize the housekeeper was doing anything wrong," said Funke Ajibola, a hairstylist based in Ogun. "I was simply browsing TikTok one day, watching different videos. Suddenly, my eyes landed on a video, and I had to check it again quickly.
Right there in that video, I noticed our domestic worker wearing my clothes and shoes while creating content. It felt like my mind was spinning. That's when I realized she had been wearing my clothes and shoes whenever I wasn't around.
Having a comparable experience, Olabode Falana mentioned that he had a housekeeper who visited his apartment weekly for cleaning.
Fair to say, she did an excellent job cleaning. However, I discovered that she was using a fork to retrieve money from my piggy bank. Her mistress deceived her into believing I had a CCTV in my house and that I had contacted the police to arrest her.
"She intentionally informed her that I had accused her of stealing N100,000. At that point, this woman admitted, 'Aunty, it's a lie, I only took N35,000.' That was her final day in my home," Falana stated.
In August, an X user named Buss (@Busayooo_b) sounded the alarm, claiming her housekeeper had stolen nine of her wigs and sold one prior to being caught.
"She took nine wigs that she stole from my home. These are the wigs she took; the one she sold has disappeared and cannot be recovered," she wrote.
In response, Ikejiofor Uzoma stated, “These small thefts are not due to financial hardship; it's simply greed. A woman who was cleaning the house for my brother finished her task and took two crates of eggs that my brother had recently purchased. She only left eight eggs behind. It's hard to understand what motivates people to act this way.”
Not everyone among us is a thief
Despite the negative experiences some Nigerians have faced with domestic workers and craftsmen, others have had favorable interactions.
We have a housekeeper who has been with us for more than five years, and she is not a thief or a bad person. Not a single naira has ever gone missing from my drawer, and my food items remain untouched. This is what makes me stand by her.
I am convinced that when we hire domestic staff or work with craftsmen who are honest, we ought to offer them more than just their pay or travel expenses to motivate them, as we reside in a perilous world today.
"I believe everything ultimately comes down to human nature. I know a friend whose artisan, an electrician, stole one of her phones and continued to lie to her. At the same time, she had suggested him to her friends and ended up warning them to be cautious around him," said a food seller, Mrs. Damilola Alimi, to Sunday PUNCH.
A cryptocurrency trader, Obinna Muoka, who once served as a domestic worker, stated that many household employees who steal from their employers are motivated by deep-seated greed.
During the period I worked as a home helper, I never took anything from the family I was employed by. Now that I reflect on it, I understand I was not paid fairly, but it never crossed my mind to steal from them. Besides my religious beliefs, I believe individuals who engage in such behavior are influenced negatively, and this often leads to problems in their lives.
"When I was working as a domestic helper, I truly cared for the family I worked for, and the children especially cherished me. Not everyone is a thief, but some individuals have a mindset that leads them to steal from others, which tarnishes the image of domestic work," Muoka said.
In an interview with Sunday PUNCH, psychologist Kolawole Afolabi stated that taking from employers might arise from a perception of accepted wrongdoing, where domestic workers or craftsmen view their employer's possessions as "legitimate targets."
Some people might experience poor impulse regulation, leading them to be drawn towards risky actions. There may also be a sense of self-importance and little consideration for the employer.
"There is a need to investigate the fundamental reasons, such as displaced anger directed at the employer, excessive workload, or mistreatment, and whether they turn to theft as a means to rationalize their distorted thinking. They might benefit from counseling to uncover and tackle the core issues," Afolabi mentioned.
Individuals who can be sentenced to seven years in jail
Speaking about the matter, lawyer Cyril Ugonna stated that according to the Nigerian Criminal Code, theft carried out by craftsmen, household employees, or chauffeurs is considered severe theft.
Section 384 outlines the act of theft committed by individuals in unique relationships, including cases where the perpetrator holds a position of trust. Likewise, Section 390(6) of the Criminal Code Act states that if the offender is a clerk or employee, or works in a similar role, and takes something that is under the control or possession of their employer, they can be sentenced to seven years in prison.
This applies to domestic workers and craftsmen employed in a home or business, as well as any individual functioning as a servant or clerk. Some individuals claim they were not paid adequately, but this reasoning is invalid since theft is a serious violation.
"Although underpayment can lead to labor and contractual problems, it does not legally excuse theft. According to Nigerian criminal law, poverty or the belief that wages are unfair is not considered a valid defense," Ugonna stated.
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
