The Ogun State Police Command has launched a
manhunt for an Islamic cleric, identified only as Raheem, for allegedly killing
a co-tenant, Monday Olaleye, aka Messiah.
The duo, who lived in a house on Adebayo Close,
in the Ibafo, Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of the state, reportedly had
a disagreement which degenerated to fisticuffs.
The fight, which occured on Sunday, February 11,
started after 49-year-old Olaleye demanded the N60 contribution of Raheem for
the replacement of a burnt electric fuse.
Olaleye was appointed by other tenants to collect
funds for the purchase of the new fuse, valued at N600.
During the fight, Raheem, aka Alfa, was
alleged to have hit Olaleye with a stick, while the victim used a plastic chair
to fight back. Both men were reportedly injured.
The next day, Olaleye’s health condition
deteriorated and he was rushed to a private hospital where he was confirmed
dead.
The deceased’s family members were said to have
reported the case at the Ibafo Police Station.
Latest Reality Metro learnt that
neighbours, who got wind of a possible mass arrest, fled the house.
When our correspondent visited the community on
Thursday, he observed that the house had been locked up.
Residents approached for information either
declined comment or feigned ignorance of the incident.
However, Latest Reality Metro
established contact with a few of the runaway tenants, who spoke on condition
of anonymity.
A father of two said the police locked up the
house when they did not meet anyone, adding that they left with three
generators belonging to tenants.
He said, “I remember the two men had a
disagreement over payment for a burnt electrical fuse which was valued at N600.
We are 10 tenants in the house occupying the 10 single room apartments. We
divided the money and everybody was asked to pay N60.
“I was sleeping when I heard a noise. I was
indisposed and couldn’t go out. But I learnt there was a fight between Alfa
and Messiah over the fuse money. Within a few minutes, it was over and
everybody dispersed.
“By morning, the man woke up, took his bath, drew
water from the well, and prepared a meal which he ate. But around 12 noon, we
observed that his door was ajar. I heard heavy breathing and rallied other
tenants to get him to a hospital.”
Another tenant said no one knew the victim was
ill until a family member visited him.
He noted that the relative raised the alarm,
blaming the neighbours for being uncaring.
He said, “After we settled the dispute between
him and Alfa, everybody left for their apartments. They were both OK. Messiah
was a painter and he rarely went out. We all saw him do his chores that
morning; nobody suspected anything until someone said he was breathing
abnormally. A relative who visited him around 12 noon queried us for not checking
up on him.
“We didn’t get a vehicle on time to convey him to
a hospital. We later got one. The medical workers did not allow us to take him
down from the vehicle before they said he was dead. Inasmuch as I find it
difficult to connect his death to the fight, some people said he might have had
internal bleeding.”
Latest Reality Metro gathered that the
news of the death sent fear into the community, as many residents took to their
heels. The prime suspect, Raheem, who had gone to work, reportedly did not
return to the house.
A female tenant said later that evening, the
police arrived in the community in a bus.
“They broke Alfa’s apartment and took
some things away. They also locked up the entire house after carrying away
three generators. As I speak to you, most of the tenants are squatting with
friends and family members. We have nowhere to go,” she said.
A senior police officer from the Ibafo division
said it was a murder case, adding that it had been transferred to the State
Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Eleweran, Abeokuta.
He urged the victim’s neighbours to come forward
and assist the police with information.
“The suspect hit the man with a stick and he
died. It is a murder case,” he added.
The state Police Public Relations Officer,
Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the incident.
He said, “There was a fight between the two
tenants on Monday and in the process, one of them died. All the tenants in the
house fled; nobody reported to the police. It was when the victim’s relatives arrived
from Lagos that they met his corpse in the house. That was how the police knew
about it.
“When we got there, we didn’t see anybody; the
house was deserted. The police found two generators on the corridor and because
it was not safe to leave them there, they decided to secure them by taking them
to the station. We have not seen any of the tenants since then. The state
Commissioner of Police, Ahmad Iliyasu, has ordered that the suspect be made to
face the full wrath of the law.”
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