Police in Lagos have arrested a 19-year-old girl, Margaret Adiya, who faked her death on Facebook to avoid financial pressure from her mother.
Lagos police spokesman, Bala Elkana, said in a statement on Sunday that the Command, on May 15, received a petition signed by a man, Tony Iji, on behalf of the family of Ms Adiya from Oni community in Oju Local Government Area of Benue State.
The statement said: “The petitioners stated that their attention was drawn to a post on Facebook stating that the said Margaret Adiya died few days ago and was secretly buried by her two friends Marvelous Mary and Nneka Buddy at Ajah area.
“The family further stated that they were able to establish contact with the said friends who confirmed to them that their daughter is dead. That they were instructed by Margaret not to allow members of her family know anything about her death and that they were authorised by the deceased person to secretly bury her.
“To make them believe that the girl is dead, they sent WhatsApp chats to a member of the girl’s family with picture of a casket showing that the girl is buried. The known phone number of the girl is permanently switched off. The family also got in touch with a man on phone who claimed to be her boyfriend. He corroborated the claim that she is dead.”
Mr Elkana said the girl was eventually found by the police to be alive and working as a house maid in an estate at Ajah area of the state.
“When her employer saw the report of her purported death, they quickly informed the Police and she was brought to Ajah Police Station,” the spokesman added.
“In her statement, she confessed to have created the Facebook account and posted her obituary with intent to keep her family away from her. That her mother was putting financial pressure on her, constantly demanding that she send money to her.
“The girl is apparently bitter with her mother and uncles, over their inability to sponsor her education after the death of her father. Her sojourn to Lagos is to work, save some money and return to school.
“She admitted using her employer daughter’s photograph Dr Nimechi Ugorji (without her knowledge) in the fictitious Facebook account she created, as profile picture. After posting the obituary notice on the account, her uncle downloaded the profile picture and reposted, calling on members of the public who know the person on the photograph to report to the nearest police station.”
Elkana said investigation is still ongoing in the case.
