Residents of Olorunfunmi Street at Ekore, a densely populated area of
Oworonsoki, Lagos, have identified a two-story building at No. 34
Olorunfunmi Street as a den of murderers.
Even though the building has four apartments on each floor, none of the
apartments was occupied by the owner or tenants. Instead, the house was
only occupied by security guards who are now accused of murdering
Olufumbi Lawal, a resident who lived on the same street.
On October 23rd, 32yrs old Mr. Lawal was sighted lying in a pool of his
blood in the premises of 34 Olorunfunmi Street. The neighbors said the
victim’s killers were trying to hide his corpse when it was discovered.
The victim had been missing since the previous day.
Several sources stated that Mr. Lawal was last seen alive going into the
suspected den of murderers where his body was eventually found the next
day.
According to some of them, the victim had some form of business
relationship with the guards at the dreaded house and had gone there at
their invitation ostensibly to receive some payment.
Once Mr. Lawal’s remains were discovered, a mob stormed the house by
breaking its windows to apprehend the alleged killers. One source
claimed that one of the alleged culprits confessed that he and four
others murdered Mr. Lawal. The alleged culprit, identified as Ali
Mohammed, reportedly disclosed that he and his associates had used iron
bars and machetes to kill the victim. While Ali and another culprit were
arrested, the others remain at large, fleeing the building on realizing
that their dastardly act had been discovered.
One source said Mr. Ali confessed that he and two other guards had
bought three motorbikes from the victim, promising to pay him in
installments. He said they had invited him the evening of October 22,
2015 to receive payment for the bikes, adding that they had planned to
kill him once he arrived.
Residents of the area who broke into the guards’ quarters alleged that
they also found other clothes soaked with blood in a large bag called
"Ghana-must-go" bag.
The residents also alleged that Mr. Ali had raped a bread-hawker in the
same premises only two days before the discovery of the late Lawal’s
body. According to residents, the suspicious house has “For Sale"
painted in its front. But they alleged that the sign was only a decoy to
mask the murders going on within the house.
The police have since arrested Mr. Ali. Besides, police officers have
been deployed to the house to prevent further damage to it by the
incensed neighbors, said one police source. He added that some of the
other murder suspects had fled on the bikes their victim had bought for
them.
A police source disclosed that the case was currently before a
magistrate court in Ebutte Metta, Lagos and that the presiding
magistrate had adjourned the case till December 7, 2015, for trial.
