A 32-year-old undergraduate of Lagos State Polytechnic, Isolo campus, Lawal Afolabi Kunbi, has been hacked to death by a man alleged to be indebted to hm at Olorunfunmi Street in Oworo area of Lagos State.
The prime suspect identified only as Aliu, a private security guard who lives on the same street with the deceased.
Unfortunately, Aliu failed to pay immediately after the business took place a month ago.
Kunbi, a student of Business Administration, who was planning his wedding in December, hoped to pay his school fee with the money but was unfortunately murdered on Thursday, October 22, 2015 shortly after Aliu reportedly called him to come and collect the sum of N32,000.
Kunbi, who owns a provision shop headed toward’s Aliu’s apartment to collect the money, without knowing that Aliu had evil plans.
He was nowhere to be found and the family decided to launh a search to locate him throughout the night of the fateful day until they discovered his lifeless remains behind Aliu’s compound around 9am on Friday, October 23, 2015.
According to an eye-witness, the victim’s five fingers had been chopped off, with other marks of violence visible all over his body.
There also a rope tied round his neck, suggesting that he could have been strangled, according to Vanguard.
Police officials had arrested Aliu and four other suspects in connection with the murder.
It was learnt that Aliu was allegedly seen fetching water on several occasions from Kunbi’s compound in the early hours of the day the corpse was discovered and it aroused suspicion from residents who questioned what he did with the unusual volume of water he was fetching.
Some residents reportedly stormed his apartment only to allegedly discover blood stains all over the place.
The suspect was said to have been using the water to clean up the blood stains in his apartment, apparently to cover up his track. Also, shattered louvres were reportedly seen all over the apartment. Consequently, the residents descended on Aliu.
Narrating the ncdent further, a source said: “When we searched through Kunbi’s telephone, which he left while he rushed to answer the call of death last night (Thursday), we discovered that the last caller was Aliu. When confronted at first, Aliu denied seeing him, insisting rather that a search team be raised to look for him.
“What gave him away was the blood stain that was trailed, right from where Kunbi’s body was dumped, to Aliu’s apartment. We also saw a white cloth stained with blood, on the floor and the key of Kunbi’s shop in Aliu’s apartment. When he discovered that the game was up, he pleaded that we should not kill him and disclosed that the plan to kill Kunbi was hatched by his friends.”
Additionally, the owner of the building, where Kunbi resided, who preferred anonymity said: ‘’I leased out one of my shops to Kunbi two years ago. He was a jolly good fellow and full of wisdom. That was why I always made out time to advise him about life. However, one thing about him was that he kept secrets. Perhaps if he had told one about this, we would have mediated on the payment.
“That fateful night, I sent my daughter to go and lock the gate, only for her to come back to say Kunbi’s shop was still opened at that odd hour. I decided to come down myself to lock the gate and still met the shop opened. I was surprised because it was very much unlike him . He never kept late nights nor lived a frivolous life. I decided to go downstairs to lock the gate myself , with the intention that he would call when he returned. A boy told me he left the shop at about 8pm and, when I asked where he went to, he could not provide answer. I decided to call him on the phone, only to discover it was ringing right in his shop. Two hours later, I called the boy who said he saw Kunbi going out, to find out if he was back but he said no. At that moment, I knew something was wrong and informed my husband.
“To my shock, after my morning devotion, I went out only to see a crowd watching a lifeless body that was covered with nylon. On further enquiry, it was the body of Kunbi!”.
Some policemen, from Alonge Oworo Division, arrived the scene with the suspects, who were taken to the apartment where the heinous crime was allegedly committed.
But for the tear gas fired by the police, the suspects would have been lynched by an angry mob who descended on them.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Joe Offor, confirmed the incident, adding that investigation was still ongoing to uncover the mystery surrounding Kunbi’s death.
