An Abia State Polytechnic student, identified
only as Abel, has killed the landlord of one
of the students’ lodges in the Immaculate
area of Aba, Abia State.
PUNCH Metro learnt that Abel, a final year
student of the Department of Architecture,
allegedly stabbed the victim in the stomach
during a disagreement at the lodge.
The landlord had ordered that no female
visitor was allowed to spend the night in
the lodge. The suspect was alleged to have
breached the rule and was challenged by
the landlord, which led to a
fight between them.
In the ensuing scuffle, the suspect was
alleged to have grabbed a knife and
stabbed the victim in the stomach, before
taking to his heels.

The landlord reportedly died on the spot.
His remains were recovered by the police
and deposited in a mortuary.
A student of the institution, who identified
herself only as Beatrice, explained that the
caretaker of the lodge was the first to
notice the breach of the rule, adding that he
informed the landlord.
She said the landlord barged into the room
and met Abel and his girlfriend naked,
which caused the fight.
She said:

“The incident happened around 9pm
on June 29. The deceased had made a
rule that no student living in the lodge
should bring a lady to pass the night
there. He also made it a rule that every
visitor, be it male or female, must
leave before night falls.

“However, the suspect brought home
a female guest in the evening and
both of them went inside his room.
The caretaker of the lodge saw them
and waited for them to come out, but
they didn’t. He then put a call through
to the landlord, who hurriedly went to
the building around 9pm.

“On arrival, the landlord barged into
the student’s room where he met
both the lady and the student naked.
Instead of excusing himself, he
attacked the student with punches.
The lady quickly grabbed a wrapper
and ran out of the room into another
student’s room in the lodge.
“As the confrontation continued, the
student stabbed the landlord with a
knife, put on his boxers and fled that
night, leaving the landlord dead in his
room.”
It was learnt that the incident threw the
community into confusion as the matter
was reported at a police station in the area.

The police were said to have launched a
manhunt for the suspect with his picture
posted at strategic areas in the school.
When contacted, the Abia State Police Public
Relations Officer, Nta Ogbonnaya, confirmed
the murder, but said he could not tell what
transpired between the suspect and the
deceased.

He said the case file had been transferred to
the State Department of Criminal
Investigations, adding that the police would
get the fugitive.
He said:

“Yes, there is a case of murder
involving a student of Abia State
Polytechnic, Aba, who stabbed his
landlord in the stomach. I cannot,
however, tell what happened
between them. I also don’t know the
name of the landlord and the suspect.
As I speak with you, the case file has
been transferred to the SDCI and we
are working with the school
authorities to get the details of the
suspect.
“I, however, want to advise him that
he should submit himself to the police
voluntarily. I assure that wherever he
decides to go, we will get him and he
will face justice.”
Efforts to reach the school authorities were
abortive as the official telephone line on the
school’s website was switched off.
A text message sent to the line had also yet
to be replied to as of the time of filing this
report, Punch reports.

www.todaysnigeriagist.com/2016/07/abia-poly-student-caught-with.html?m=1