Tenant kills landlord over rent

A tenant in Lagos has allegedly killed his landlord over house rent debt on Tuesday. The landlord, identified simply as Papa Chikwado, was said to have been worried over the non-compliance of one of his tenants, identified simply as Kelechi, to pay the house rent.

Papa Chikwado, who also lived in the same bungalow with Kelechi, had quarreled with the tenant at his Alafua Street, Ajegunle, residence.

The landlord went to Ajegunle police station to report the tenant, over his unbecoming behaviour.

A resident told Daily Sun that police had allegedly invited Kelechi for peace to reign but he failed to show up. The source said as the tenant continued to foment trouble, police had to seize the his motorcycle so that he would respect the invitation.

The tenant was enraged when he learnt that crime fighters had used his motorcycle as a bait to invite him.

He was alleged to have threatened to die or kill the landlord if he failed to return his motorcycle taken away by the police. The landlord, who believed it was one of those his empty threats, did not take his words seriously.

During Nigeria’s football match with South Korea in South Africa, the landlord left his street to see a friend.

Unknown to him, danger lurked around the corner. He had no premonition that Kelechi was trailing him with a cutlass with which he dealt machete blows on the landlord’s head, splitting it. The landlord’s family were said to reside in Abuja.

Kind-hearted Nigerians rushed the victim to a nearby private hospital, but the doctor rejected him, saying the injury was too much for the hospital to handle. They moved him to a public hospital where he gave up the ghost.

Meanwhile, Kelechi has bolted. Daily Sun gathered that the Divisional Police Officer of Ajegunle police station, Mr. Sylva Chinedu, a Chief Superintendent of police, was alerted and swiftly sent a team of crack detectives to the scene.

The police have launched a manhunt for the fleeing suspect.

When contacted for comment on phone, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Frank Mba, a Superintendent of Police, said he had tried to reach the DPO, Sylva, on phone, without success.