₦airaland Forum

An Islamic cleric, Alfa Ganiyu Umaru, is being detained by the police for allegedly killing his landlord in one-storeyed building in Agbotikuyo bus stop, Ipaja, Lagos State.

This is just as relatives and friends of the 45-year-old victim, Tajudeen Popoola, said they had yet to come to terms with the reality of his death.

PUNCH Metro learnt that Umaru, who hails from Ilorin, Kwara State, and Tajudeen had been at loggerheads for some time over Umaru’s alleged immoral behaviour.

He was said to have criticised the cleric for drinking and performing rituals on the ground that such acts contravened Islamic doctrines. It was said the criticism usually resulted in exchange of words between both.

The matter, however, came to a head when Tajudeen returned from a football viewing centre around 8pm on Sunday and reportedly met Umaru and his friends drinking alcohol in front of the building.

The landlord was said to have rebuked the suspect, leading to an altercation after which they both retired to their respective apartments.

The deceased’s brother, Azeez Popoola, said Umaru came to Tajudeen’s apartment a few minutes later and attacked him with a shard of broken glass.

He said, “Alfa usually quarreled with my brother because he used to correct his excesses. Any time they had a disagreement, he would threaten to kill my brother. On Sunday, he made good his threat.

“Everywhere was dark that evening. He sneaked into the passage where my brother was resting on a bench. Alfa didn’t know I was resting at a corner in the passage. I suddenly heard my brother scream and before I knew what was happening, blood was gushing out from his neck while Alfa fled.

“I went after him and with the help of neighbours, he was apprehended and the shard was recovered from him. We rushed my brother to the Ile Epo General Hospital; but before we got there, he had lost a lot of blood. He died a few minutes later. Alfa stabbed him in three different places in the neck.”

Azeez, who described Tajudeen as a diligent mechanic, said he had never fought the suspect although the cleric owed him two-year rent.

“He is a widower. His only daughter lives in the East. The daughter and our ageing mother had not been informed of his death,” he added.

Our correspondent, who visited the residence on Tuesday, found bloodstains on the staircase and walls, while Umaru’s paraphernalia, including a horn and a black pot, was seen at the entrance to his apartment.

It was gathered that his wife and children had fled immediately the incident happened.

Tajudeen’s friend, David Aluko, said, “I am devastated. I can’t still believe that my friend is gone forever. The whole thing still appears to me as a movie. We both returned from the viewing centre that day and he told Alfa to stop drinking outside the building.

“Alfa said Tajudeen’s comment embarrassed him and he threatened to kill the landlord. I was discussing with people outside when I heard Azeez shouting upstairs that Alfa had stabbed his brother. Tajudeen was kind to everybody.”

A tenant, who identified himself only as Quadri, said Tajudeen was generous to him and other tenants, urging the police to ensure that Umaru faced the full weight of the law.

“I live in his house in Dopemu. The last time I paid rent was 2014. I explained my challenges to him and he said I shouldn’t worry. He helped people a lot. There were occasions he gave tenants money from the rent they paid,” he added.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, had yet to reply to a text message sent to her mobile phone line as of press time.

However, a police source told our correspondent that the suspect had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Yaba.

There are strong indications that influential Nigerians, including a serving governor and a minister, are among owners of about 1,500 exotic vehicles parked in the Volkswagen Yard, on the Mile 2-Badagry Expressway in Lagos since 2015.

Another governor from the South-East (name withheld) has also been identified as the owner of 15 Sports Utility Vehicles intercepted and impounded by officers of the Nigeria Customs Service and parked in the agency’s office in Ikeja.

The Senate Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariff, led by its Chairman, Hope Uzodinma, had visited the VON premises last week on oversight assignment when it discovered that the place looked deserted with disused equipment in its assembly plant.

The officials of the company, who had earlier declined to open the store to the lawmakers for inspection, were forced to grant the visitors access into the warehouse when the lawmakers threatened to force the door open.

The senators, who were there in company with security operatives and officials of the NCS, saw no fewer than 1,500 pieces of various models of Volkswagen products and other brands of vehicles in the warehouse.

SUNDAY PUNCH learnt that the senators were curious when they found out that there were port tags on the vehicles, indicating that they were imported.

One of the lawmakers told one of our correspondents that his colleagues were not convinced by the explanation offered by officials of the company that the firm did not abuse the auto policy introduced by the Goodluck Jonathan-led administration with its action.

The senator added that the team discovered that about 15 Sports Utility Vehicles, on the premises of the NCS office in Ikeja, Lagos, which were impounded by the service when the dealer attempted to evade payment of duty, belonged to a serving governor in the South-East.

He said the vehicles carried Federal Government’s official number plates in an attempt to deceive officers of the customs service.

Uzodinma had alleged in an interview with journalists in Abuja that there were indications that the company was not assembling vehicles in Nigeria as it claimed.

He stated that his committee discovered different vehicle brands in the company’s warehouses which were already assembled before they were shipped to Nigeria.

The Managing Director of VON Automobiles, Mr. Tokunbo Aromolaran, however, refuted the Senate claim that the company was sabotaging the country’s economy.

Aromolaran said, “The Chairman of the Senate Committee, in company with about 30 people, comprising senators, officers of Nigeria Customs Service, journalists and police officers, descended on the VON premises on October 28, 2016, without prior notification.

“They were given free access to our plants and warehouses, and found nothing other than what you would expect to see in an auto assembly plant – an inventory of vehicles assembled, awaiting delivery.

“We also confirmed that applicable duties were paid at the ports when the components were imported into the country.

He said, “All applicable duties and levies on Volkswagen vehicles stored at VON have been paid to the NCS (SKD vehicle kits and fully built units). This can be verified by the service.

Uzodinma, however, told one of our correspondents on Saturday that the committee was convinced that VON was sabotaging the nation’s economy, adding that a public hearing would be organised soon to unravel the alleged sharp practices.

The Public Relations Officer, Nigeria Customs Service, Mr. Wale Adeniyi, said the affected vehicles had remained under NCS custody because duty was not paid on them.

Adeniyi stated, “There are no separate laws for top government officials or highly-placed Nigerians. The laws are the same for everybody and the laws specify that all imported vehicles attract duty. If duty was not paid, the vehicles cannot be released.”

He, however, added that if the owners paid the required duty, the SUVs would be released.

On the 1,500 vehicles found in the premises of Volkswagen, Adeniyi said, “I do not have details of that development.”

Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has appointed Justice Esther Ikponmwen as the new Chief Judge of the state.

Obaseki, in a request sent to the state House of Assembly, explained that Justice Ikponmwen’s appointment followed a recommendation by the National Judiciary Council.

When confirm by the lawmakers, Ikponmwen would replace the current chief judge, Justice Cromwell Idahosa, who is said to be due for retirement.

The governor’s letter was referred to the House Standing Committee on Judiciary to present its report for consideration during the next plenary.

Meanwhile, the House on Wednesday suspended its former speaker and member representing Esan Central constituency, Victor Edoror, for three months.

It, however, cleared the member representing Ovia North East II, Bright Osayande, of any wrongdoing.

The Speaker, Dr. Justin Okonoboh, disclosed this while speaking on the outcome of an interim report of the ad hoc committee set up to look into the alleged financial impropriety levelled against Edoror.

The former speaker and Osayande, who was his deputy, had been impeached in May over alleged misconduct.‎

Okonoboh, who explained that the suspended member  failed to honour earlier invitations by the committee to clear himself, however, directed the committee to give him a fair hearing.

A former Interim Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Bisi Akande, has said he did not shun the campaign of the party for its governorship candidate in Ondo State, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, contrary to reports in the media.

Akande, who spoke through his media aide, Mr. Lani Baderinwa, in a statement issued on Friday said he had been going abroad for medical treatment.

The former governor of Osun State, said he decided to stay away from stress in line with the advice of his doctors.

Apart from Akande, President Muhammadu Buhari; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Governor Rauf Aregbesola were among those who were absent at the rally.

The statement read, “Chief Bisi Akande has no reason to shun APC campaigns and rallies in Ondo state because every APC aspirant that contested the Ondo state governorship primary in September has always been his close associate and knew so well that he (Bisi Akande) is being treated from one hospital to another in the USA, the U.K. and in Nigeria since last April.

“He, according to medical advice, is being asked to take things easy in the time being. Despite that, as an APC respectable leader, he has been working behind the scene to reconcile differences among the warring tendencies in the party.”

Tunami:
Coming from a SINator. Ok.