In a shocking incident that has ignited widespread public fury across social media and local communities, a 35-year-old woman in Lagos has been accused of forcing her 7-year-old house help out of the house at midnight, leaving the child stranded on a dark street over a missing ₦500 (approximately $0.30 USD).
The child, identified only as Chioma by neighbors who intervened hours later, had been working as a domestic helper in the woman’s home for over a year. According to eyewitness accounts and viral videos circulating on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and WhatsApp groups, the confrontation escalated around 11:45 p.m. on Thursday night when the woman discovered ₦500 missing from her purse. In a fit of rage, she reportedly accused Chioma of theft, dragged the terrified girl to the front door, and shoved her out without shoes or warm clothing, locking the gate behind her.
“I heard screaming and crying from next door,” said Aisha Mohammed, a 42-year-old neighbor who lives two houses away. “The poor girl was banging on the gate, begging to be let back in. It was raining lightly, and she was just standing there in her nightdress. When I looked out my window, the woman was yelling, ‘Thief! You’re not sleeping under my roof tonight!’ I called my husband, and we rushed out to get her.”
Mohammed’s family sheltered Chioma until dawn, providing her with food, dry clothes, and a blanket. The child, who appeared malnourished and exhausted, recounted to local child welfare officials that she had been performing household chores like cleaning, cooking, and caring for the woman’s two younger children since arriving from a rural village in Anambra State at age 6. Chioma denied stealing the money, claiming she had never seen it.
By Friday morning, the story had exploded online, with hashtags like #JusticeForChioma and #EndChildLaborInNigeria trending nationwide. Activists, celebrities, and everyday Nigerians flooded social media with condemnations, sharing screenshots of the incident’s aftermath and calling for the woman’s arrest. “This isn’t just theft—it’s child abuse and human trafficking,” tweeted child rights advocate Ify Aniebo, whose post garnered over 15,000 retweets in hours. “How do you abandon a 7-year-old at midnight for pennies? Our laws must protect these vulnerable kids.”
The woman, whose identity has not been publicly disclosed pending investigation, has gone silent since the incident. Neighbors reported she barricaded herself inside the home, ignoring knocks from concerned residents and police who arrived around 2 a.m. after Mohammed filed a report. Lagos State Police Command spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the case is under investigation, with officers interviewing witnesses and reviewing CCTV footage from nearby streets.
“This is a clear violation of the Child Rights Act of 2003, which prohibits child labor and abandonment,” said Dr. Olumide Adebayo, a child psychologist at Lagos University Teaching Hospital. “Exposing a minor to such danger at night could lead to assault, trafficking, or worse. The psychological trauma on this girl will be profound—she’s already showing signs of severe anxiety.”
Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has vowed to intervene, with regional coordinator Mrs. Funmi Falana stating, “We are dispatching a team to ensure Chioma receives immediate medical and counseling support. Cases like this highlight the rampant exploitation of young girls from impoverished families, often lured to cities with false promises.”
Chioma has been temporarily placed in a government-run shelter in Ikeja, where officials are working to locate her relatives. Preliminary medical checks revealed bruises on her arms from previous “disciplines,” sparking fears of ongoing abuse.
The incident comes amid growing scrutiny of domestic child labor in Nigeria, where an estimated 15 million children are engaged in hazardous work, according to UNICEF data. Advocacy groups like the African Network for the Prevention and Protection Against Child Abuse and Neglect (ANPPCAN) are using the case to push for stricter enforcement of anti-trafficking laws.
As the nation demands accountability, one thing is clear: Chioma’s midnight ordeal has become a rallying cry for change, reminding all of the human cost behind closed doors. Authorities urge anyone with information on similar cases to contact the NHRC hotline at 0805-777-7777.