A sensational WhatsApp message circulating in Lagos has raised alarm over the infiltration of domestic service by criminal syndicates.
The Cook Who Wasn’t Just Cooking
The post recounts the experience of a Lekki family that had employed a cook with seemingly impeccable references and identification. Within a week of beginning work, the man allegedly confided in the household nanny that his real expertise was not in the kitchen but in cloning ATM and bank cards and exchanging genuine foreign currencies for counterfeit bills.
The nanny, stunned by his revelation, was asked to look out for any foreign notes in the house, preferably large denominations, and to photograph them along with any ATM cards she could find. Although the story at first seemed too improbable to believe, the employer decided to demand proof before dismissing it. Recordings of the cook’s conversations were then obtained, and what emerged was startling. On tape, the cook not only detailed how the scheme worked but also named other cooks and stewards in Lekki, Ikoyi and Victoria Island who were allegedly involved. He described a counterfeit printing plant near the Seme border and spoke to contacts requesting supplies of US dollars and British pounds.
Pressure, Persuasion and Bible Verses
The nanny, under pressure, endured repeated attempts by the cook to persuade her to collaborate. He promised her a share of the profits, described himself as a millionaire who owned a house and a car, and told her she could transform her family’s fortunes by joining him. To weaken her resistance, he recited Bible verses and even claimed he could introduce her to a person who would guarantee she would never be caught.
The Sting Operation
The family decided to set up a sting. The nanny showed him a photograph of a single $100 bill. Believing it was genuine, he immediately called an associate to deliver $1,000 in counterfeit bills. The plan, he explained, was to swap the bills quickly so that the employer would not notice any change. On the day of the exchange, plain-clothes police lay in wait. The delivery man lingered outside the gate and was arrested with counterfeit notes still in his possession. The cook, unaware of his associate’s arrest, handed the fake bills to the nanny, at which point the police were called into the house to apprehend him. He was said to be utterly shocked at the turn of events.
According to the WhatsApp post, the men confessed that such schemes were common in households where forex was accessible. Many people who read the story online responded by saying they had similar experiences, some as far back as six years ago, reinforcing the impression that this was not an isolated incident but part of a wider underground economy exploiting domestic service.
Domestic Staff Crimes: A Troubling Pattern in Lagos
The Lekki case is only the latest in a long line of disturbing crimes linked to household staff in Lagos. In 2024, a housemaid reportedly fled with $51,000 just three days into her employment, later investing part of the stolen money in property with her husband. The same year, a woman in Gbagada was murdered by her househelp only a week after hiring her, while another tragic killing rocked Parkview Estate when Dr. Aribemchukwu Ajumogobia was allegedly gagged and stabbed to death by her maid, driver and security guard in a robbery attempt. Earlier, a 25-year-old housemaid was hacked to death by a security guard in Lekki, and there have been cases where drivers colluded with maids to rob and kill their employers.
Perhaps the most chilling case that underlines the risks involved in employing inadequately vetted domestic staff was the 2012 murder of the Managing Director of Maersk Nigeria, Mr. Olakunle Elatuyi, who was stabbed to death by his driver. That case sent shockwaves through the corporate and expatriate community in Lagos and is still remembered as a brutal warning of how quickly misplaced trust can end in tragedy.
Why These Crimes Persist
Police authorities in Lagos have repeatedly urged households to conduct thorough background checks before employing domestic workers, warning that the informal hiring practices common in the city expose families to serious dangers. The commissioner has pointed out that crimes are often carried out by people who gain intimate knowledge of a home’s layout, valuables and routines, and who exploit the extraordinary trust placed in them.
The persistence of such crimes suggests that these are not isolated opportunists but parts of broader networks, with some households targeted precisely because of the foreign currency they keep at home. For employers, the lessons are stark. Greater vigilance, careful vetting, surveillance, and strict limits on staff access to sensitive areas are now not luxuries but necessities.
A Wake-Up Call
The WhatsApp story of the Lekki cook may read like a movie script, but the history of similar incidents across Lagos shows it is anything but fiction. The flood of “It happened to us too” comments that followed its circulation suggests that until households and the authorities tighten controls, the risk of being betrayed by trusted staff will remain a troubling feature of life in Nigeria’s commercial capital.