Residents of Bombay Crescent in Apapa area of Lagos were thrown into confusion yesterday following the discovery of the lifeless body of a Lebanese inside a septic tank in his house.
There are suspicions he might have been killed by a private guard he employed to secure his home. The suspect has since fled the deceased’s Apapa residence.
The Lebanese, Bassan Khodari, it was gathered returned from Abuja on Monday evening unannounced and found the unnamed guard and his accomplices stealing his valuables.
He was said to have confronted the guard for bringing in strangers into his home and stealing his Plasma television alongside other items in his absence.
Sources said there was a heated argument from the foreigner’s home on Monday, adding that they were shocked to discover his dead body inside the tank on Tuesday.
It was gathered that the guard had planned with his friends to steal valuables from the home and escape before the Lebanese returned from his trip and caught them in the act.
A relative who had gone to visit him yesterday morning reportedly traced the blood on the floor to the well, where he discovered Khodari’s body. The fear-stricken relative was said to have reported the matter to policemen at Area ‘B’ command, who rushed to the scene and evacuated the body.
Confirming the incident, police spokesman Bala Elkana, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP) said the investigation was ongoing, adding that some suspects were already in custody.
“We are trailing the key suspect. Some persons have been arrested and an investigation is ongoing. I cannot give you further details so that we do not jeopardise investigation,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC) yesterday arrested a 20-year-old Okada rider, Mustapha Aliyu, who allegedly threw his four-month-old son into a river. The state commandant of the corps, George Edem, told newsmen that the suspect committed the act at Tamanine village in Borgu Local Government Area of the state.
According to him, the body of the baby was yet to be recovered, adding that the suspect would be handed over to the police for further investigation and prosecution.
“He is a suspect of culpable homicide because he threw his four-month-old son alive into River Oti and was subsequently arrested by our men. We want to hand him over to the Nigeria Police Force because of the synergy we have with them and other security agencies,” he said
However, speaking to newsmen, Aliyu said he threw the baby into the river out of frustration as his mother and the mother of his girlfriend, who bore the child for him, never liked the baby. He said his mother gets mad at him any time she thinks of the baby and even threatened to lay a curse on him if he ever brought the baby to their house.
He added that he regrets what he did and is prepared to face the consequences of his action.
GUARDIAN
