A 19-year-old girl named Margaret Adiya Ikumu, residing in Lagos, shared how she fabricated her own death on social media as a means to escape financial demands from her mother.
According to Bala Elkana, the spokesperson of the Lagos state police command, the news of her demise was posted on social media, prompting the family to file a petition with the command.
The police received a petition on May 15th, signed by one Tony Iji on behalf of Margaret’s family reporting the Facebook post stating that Margaret had passed away and had been secretly buried by two friends, Marvelous Mary and Nneka Buddy in Ajah area.
The family was able to establish contact with the mentioned friends, who confirmed Margaret’s death.
During the investigation, the police discovered that Margaret was still alive and had orchestrated her death hoax as a response to her mother’s financial pressures.
They relayed to the police that the friends revealed being instructed by Margaret not to disclose her death to her family and were given authorization to bury her secretly. To support the false claim, they sent WhatsApp messages to a family member, including a photo of a casket, implying her burial. Margaret’s known phone number was deactivated. The family also contacted a man who claimed to be her boyfriend, and he affirmed her death,” the police statement quoted.
Margaret, who was employed as a housemaid in an estate at Ajah, was reported to the police by her employer. She expressed her frustration towards her mother and uncles for not supporting her education financially.
When her employer saw the news of her supposed death, they promptly informed the police, leading to her apprehension at the Ajah Police Station. In her confession, she admitted to creating the fake Facebook account and posting her obituary to distance herself from her family. She explained that her mother constantly demanded money from her, causing financial strain. The girl harbors resentment towards her mother and uncles for their failure to sponsor her education following the death of her father. She had relocated to Lagos with the intention to work, save money, and return to school.
She acknowledged using her employer’s daughter’s photo, Dr. Nimechi Ugorji (without her knowledge), as the profile picture for the fictitious Facebook account. After posting the obituary on the account, her uncle downloaded the profile picture and reposted it, urging the public to report to the nearest police station if they knew the person in the photo,” the statement further stated.
The statement also mentioned that the investigation is still ongoing.