Guard, two others held for Justice Ajumogobia daughter’s murder

The Lagos State Police Command said it had arrested three domestic workers of Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia following the discovery of the judge’s daughter, Aribemchukwu’s dead body outside the gate of their Park View Estate home in the Ikoyi area of the state on Wednesday.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the arrest while responding to inquiries on the incident by PUNCH Metro on Wednesday.

A family source privy to the incident who chose to be anonymous due to the nature of the matter had disclosed in a social media post that the incident happened on Tuesday night while the lifeless body of the daughter was found in the early hours of Wednesday.

The source noted that the incident appeared to be a murder allegedly orchestrated by some domestic workers of Justice Ajumogobia who were said to have been employed about a month ago.

The source wrote, “My brother and Sister-in-law, Soboma and Rita Ajumogobia’s daughter was murdered in their house in Parkview we think last night as her body was discovered this morning outside the gate to their house.

“It would appear that the new household staff might have been responsible and tried to stage as if she was outside when it happened. However, signs of an attempt to clean up blood inside the house and in the compound tell a different story.

“If this was indeed the handiwork of the staff, it’s salient to observe that they were newly employed less than a month (ago) and she was alone in the house with them. We all need to be super careful, especially with new hires.”

Reacting further when contacted by our correspondent, Hundeyin noted that an investigation had begun into the incident.

“Confirmed. Three domestic staff (have been) arrested. The case is now being handled at the State Criminal Investigation Department,” the PPRO said.

Recall that Justice Ajumogobia was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on 15 counts bordering on money laundering and breach of public trust.

She was detained by the EFCC in 2016 while probing the source of about $793,800, which the anti-graft agency claimed passed through the judge’s domiciliary accounts between 2012 and 2015.

Meanwhile, in a 2021 ruling, Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa of the Lagos Division of FHC upheld Ofili-Ajumogobia’s application to quash the charge and dismissed the allegations against her.

In 2022, the National Judicial Council ordered her reinstatement as a judge of the Federal High Court.

The directive was contained in a circular issued by the Chief Judge of the FHC, Justice John Tsoho, on December 5, 2022, notifying judges of the court about the development.