A landlord in the Idumota, Lagos Island
area of Lagos State, Sola Solomon, has allegedly poured petrol and set
fire to one of his tenants, identified simply as Abeeb, aka Ogbon.
PUNCH Metro learnt that as the
victim struggled to put out the flames, the 67-year-old landlord pushed
him down from the top floor of the three-storey building.
The father of one was said to have landed with a thud, as the flames ate through his body.
Our correspondent was told that Abeeb
had barely spent five months in the house located on Iga Idunganran
Street, Idumota, when he was killed.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the incident was caused by a disagreement over the use of the compound toilet.
A tenant in the house, who spoke on
condition of anonymity, explained that the quarrel had been settled in
the evening and she had pleaded with both parties to maintain the peace.
She said,
“Before the incident of yesterday (Monday), there has been a quarrel in the house over the use of the toilet.Everybody had complained that the landlord always messed up the toilet after use.
“But yesterday, he had another quarrel with the Abeeb over the use of the toilet. During the argument, he threatened to set the man ablaze; the man also dared him.“I called Abeeb and calmed him down; I also called the landlord and appealed to him to let the matter go, and he said he had forgiven Abeeb.”
PUNCH Metro learnt that the
landlord, however, was sighted by residents later that evening carrying a
jerrycan, saying he was going to buy fuel.
The Ondo State indigene was alleged to
have bought the fuel and waited patiently in his room till the victim
returned from a football viewing centre where he had gone to watch an
European league match between Arsenal and Liverpool football clubs.
It was learnt that around 12am, the landlord wet the passageway of the
house and knocked on the door of the deceased.Another tenant, who asked
not to be named, said the victim’s wife pleaded with him not to go
out.The continuous rap on the door was said
to have forced Abeeb out to confront the intruder, only to see the
landlord with a container of fuel.
He said,
“As he stepped out of the house, the landlord poured the petrol on him. Before Abeeb could snatch the jerrycan from him, the landlord had ignited fire with a lighter in his hand.Abeeb struggled to put out the fire, but the landlord pushed him down from the third floor. He fell to the ground and died.”
Our correspondent gathered that the quick intervention of security
guards in the area stopped the fire from escalating.The other tenants in
the house were said to have abandoned the building and fled for fear of
being killed.
PUNCH Metro learnt that
policemen from the Adeniji Adele Police Division later arrived at the
scene to remove Abeeb’s corpse. The police also took the landlord, who
sustained burns injuries to the hospital.
A resident, John Ameh, said the landlord
was initially rejected at the Lagos Island General Hospital and was
taken to the Gbagada General Hospital.
The former occupant of Abeeb’s room,
Ruka Rufai, regretted passing the room to the deceased, saying she left
the room due to constant threat to her life from the landlord.
She said,
“I left that the room about five months ago. The landlord threatened me, so I decided to vacate the room. Abeeb pleaded with me that he needed the accommodation. Now, he has been killed.”
One of Abeeb’s friends, who did not want to be identified, expressed doubt that the suspect would face justice.
The friend, who claimed to be in the
same football academy with the victim, said he was shocked when he
learnt about the incident on the Facebook wall of a mutual friend.
PUNCH Metro was told that
grief-stricken friends of the victim had planned to set the house
ablaze, but could not due to the heavy presence of security agents.
A resident, Habib Suleiman, urged the
state government to pursue the case against the suspect to a logical end
and seize the property.
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