The deceased, Oduwobi Olalekan
Tragedy
struck in the Noforija, Epe area of Lagos State after a robbery gang stabbed to
death a hotel manager, Oduwobi Olalekan.
The incident happened on Wednesday around 10pm in the 12/30 Hotel where
the 40-year-old was a manager.
It was learnt
that the hotel is owned by a government official in the state.
An eyewitness
and a resident, Semiu Abiodun stated that the robbers had sneaked into the
community without being seen by security men.
It was gathered
that the hotel had an extension, which shared a fence with a building where
Abiodun lived.
The robbers
were said to have hidden in the extension, which was still under construction.
Abiodun said,
“I was watching television that night when I heard a noise as one of the
robbers jumped from the extension into our building. There was a power outage,
but my generator was on and my outside bulb was working, so I could see
clearly.
“Then I
watched as he sliced my net. At that point, I shouted on him, and he jumped
back into the extension where I believe the rest of his colleagues were hiding.
“I ran out
and raised the alarm and people joined me to shout and wake up those who might
be sleeping.”
It was learnt
that the robbers began hauling granite at the residents while they ploted their
escape.
Abiodun said
he went to the front of the hotel to inform and warn the hotel manager against
the presence of robbers.
“The hotel
manager immediately went to the back of the hotel, while I went to a second
street to mobilise more people.
“After a
while, as I was standing on the street, one of the robbers walked past me and I
couldn’t say anything for fear that he would attack me.
“But after he
passed, I shouted, ‘thief, thief, thief’ and he began to run,” he added.
The fleeing
suspect, who had blood stains on his clothes, was said to have been
apprehended.
He was
reportedly found with a gun, and handed over to policemen from the Epe
division.
Upon
interrogation, he was said to have led the police to the hideout of three other
suspects.
The four men
were identified as Rasak Babatunde, Abomeji Seun, Anthony Gbagbo and Tacqui
Habbila.
It was learnt
that Olalekan’s whereabouts was initially unknown and residents began looking
for him that night.
He was later
found dead at the back of the hotel, where the robbers had attacked him.
“He was
stabbed in different parts of his body and abandoned there. He was killed so
that he would not expose the robbers,” a source said.
On Saturday,
the family of the late Ijebu Igbo, Ogun State indigene, took his remains to his
hometown where he was buried.
The Police
Public Relations Officer, Kenneth Nwosu, confirmed the incident.
He said, “The
man was the manager of the 12/30 Hotel. Five persons stormed the place and shot
him. He was rushed to the hospital and he died on the way. Four persons have
been arrested in connection with the case. We recovered a pistol from the
suspects. The matter has been transferred to the State.
Culled: Punch
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