The Lebanese, identified as Ali Hussein, works as a professional chef in Lagos and resides on Allen Avenue, Ikeja area of the state.
Rhoda had reportedly left Plateau for the state in search of greener pastures when she met Hussein who promised to give her a job as a maid and had eventually agreed to pay her N10, 000 monthly.
However, two months into the job, she was impregnated by her boss who sacked her after he paid her a paltry sum of N19, 000 for the two months she worked for him.
Hussein subsequently kicked her out of his house when all his efforts to abort the pregnancy failed.
In a chat with Vanguard, Rhoda narrated her ordeal, saying, “I started working with the man as a maid immediately I came to Lagos. He agreed to pay me N10,000 monthly as my salary. When I packed into the house, my boss was not around but he came back two days later from his work place.
On how she was raped, Rhoda said, “On this particular day, my boss was about to leave the house when his brother asked me to go and meet him and collect some money to purchase food items for the house. I knocked on his door, he answered and asked me to come inside.
“When I entered, I told him that his brother asked me to collect money to purchase food items. He said okay and got up from where he was sitting.
“He pretended as if he wanted to get the money before he grabbed me forcefully. I struggled with him and was shouting but he overpowered me and raped me.
“The following month, I discovered that I had missed my monthly circle, so I informed him about it but instead of finding solution to it, he raped me a second time.
“I then kept disturbing him about the growing pregnancy. What he did was to send me to a nearby chemist with a prescription but the attendant refused to attend to me without his presence. He later went with me and bought some drugs which he asked me to take to abort the pregnancy. I took the drugs but nothing happened. After some days, he bought another set of drugs which I took, yet, nothing happened.
“I then became very worried and was disturbing him to find a solution to the problem he caused. That was when he started threatening me and later sacked me after paying me N19,000.
“I was so afraid that when I went back to my brother, Joshua, who brought me to Lagos, I didn’t tell him that I was pregnant for my boss. I was just praying that the pregnancy will just disappear but it did not. Unknown to my brother that I was pregnant, he got me another job where I worked for four months as a maid before my new employer discovered that I was pregnant and told my brother,” the embattled girl said.
On his account, Rhoda’s brother, Joshua also narrated his story.
According to him, “It was January this year that we discovered she was pregnant. Her stomach was still flat and we had to take her for scan. It was then she revealed that her former boss, Hussein, was responsible for her pregnancy.
“So, we went to Hussein’s house to confront him but he denied being responsible for the pregnancy. We therefore reported the case to the Immigration Department in Ikeja and on February 9, 2016, he was arrested but was later released.
“From immigration department, my sister was taken to the National Agency For The Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP.
“Initially, officials of NAPTIP said she would be with them until she delivers but last week, officials of the agency came and asked me to come and take my sister back as she will soon deliver.
“The pressure and threats from NAPTIP became too much to the extent that I don’t know whether they are protecting the interest of my sister who was abused by a foreigner or that of the foreigner.”
While bemoaning the atrocities perpetrated by some expatriates resident in Nigeria, Joshua said, “These atrocities continue unabated because the government and relevant authorities ignore the plight of helpless victims who are at their mercy.”
Meanwhile, an official of NAPTIP who simply identified herself as Mrs Agnes, said the case was still under investigations, however, Rhoda had been taken back to her former boss until she delivers.
One Mr Hassan who claimed to be Hussein’s nephew, intervened in the case, said, “Whatever happened between Hussein and Rhoda was a mistake and we are doing everything within to resolve the issue.
“We are doing everything to ensure she delivers safely.
“Hussein has agreed to take care of Rhoda until she gives birth,” Hassan added, stating that a DNA will be carried out to determine the paternity of the baby when she delivers but the family will not refuse to take responsibility.
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