The
Lagos State Police Command has arrested a woman, Helen Okeke, who allegedly
killed her neighbour, identified only as Rose, in the Ikota, Ajah area of the
state.
PUNCH Metro learnt that Okeke slit
Rose’s throat after the duo reportedly had an argument over who poured urine on
the latter’s clothes that were spread on the entrance door to her room.
The incident occurred at about 5pm last Wednesday
in the Ikota Housing Estate, Ikota Second Gate area.
Our correspondent gathered that Rose, who was
reportedly preparing for her wedding, had returned from work in the afternoon,
and noticed a foul smell on the clothes spread on her door.
It was learnt that the deceased went to the landlady,
Alhaja Iyabo Hamzat, to report the matter. The landlady was said to have
pacified her, offering to give her the money to buy some detergent to wash the
clothes.
It was gathered that after some minutes, other
neighbours, however, heard Rose’s sudden cry for help in the corridor. The
suspect was said to have been found holding the deceased by the neck, with a
bloodstained kitchen knife in her hand.
Our correspondent gathered that Rose died before
she could be rushed to a nearby hospital.
The matter was said to have been reported to the
Ajah Police Division, Ajiwe, and Okeke was arrested.
When PUNCH Metro visited the apartment
on Friday, Alhaja Hamzat said she had served a notice to Okeke, commonly known
as Mama Chinedu, on several occasions to pack out of the house, adding that the
suspect refused to leave.
She said, “At about 5pm that day, Rose came to my
apartment. She said she came to report Iya Chinedu.
“She said when she returned from her workplace,
she found her curtain, towel and other clothes drenched with urine. She said
she suspected that it was Iya Chinedu who poured the substance on her clothes.
“I begged Rose and told her that I would give her
money to buy detergent to wash the clothes. She had hardly returned to her room
when we heard screams of ‘help help!’ We all rushed there and we saw Rose in a
pool of blood with Iya Chinedu holding a bloodstained knife.
“With shock, we rushed Rose to a hospital, but
she died on the way.
“Iya Chinedu moved into my house just last year.
She moved in with her son. The son later left, saying she was fed up with her
mother. I had served her quit notices on several occasions, but she refused to
move out.
“I went to the police at Ikota to report her, but
the policemen there said they would not meddle in landlord-tenants’ affairs.”
Another resident, who spoke on condition of
anonymity, told PUNCH Metro that Okeke had been moody before that day.
Another resident in the area, identified only as
Blessing, said after Okeke had stabbed her neighbour, some angry youths beat
her up.
She said, “Mama Chinedu did not show any remorse
at all. Some boys became angry and beat her up.
“Everyone was shocked, and wanted to find out
what offence was committed that made Okeke to stab the young lady.”
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Kenneth
Nwosu, confirmed the incident.
He added that the matter would be transferred to
the State Department of Criminal Investigation, Yaba, for further
investigation.
He said, “The police visited the scene and
removed the corpse to a public morgue in Yaba.
“The suspect has also been arrested. She will be
transferred to the SDCI after the police have concluded their preliminary
investigations.”
Source:Punch
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