A shattered dream for an undergraduate

Alleged debtor kills 32-year-old two months to wedding
JUST like every energetic young men, Lawal Afolabi Kunbi, a business administration student of Lagos State Polytechnic, Isolo, has been dreaming of tying the conjugal rights with his heartthrob. It was a dream he has nurtured over the years and had put up everything within his power to ensure its success. The two families, The Guardian learnt, have already agreed on a December date to consummate the marriage rite.

But that was not to be as his dream of many years was shattered last Thursday at Olorunfunmi Street in Oworo area of Lagos.

He was hatched to death by a man, who allegedly owed him some money, in a bid to evade repayment, two months away to his wedding.
On that fateful day, Kunbi was said to have received a telephone call from a private security guard, identified simply as Aliu, who lives on same street with him, to come and collect N32, 000 owed him.

It was learnt that the deceased, who also operates a provision store in the neighbourhood had about a month ago sold his motorcycle to Aliu, in order to raise money to pay his school fees. So, when he received the call from Aliu, he had rushed out of his shop to Aliu’s apartment with enthusiasm that his school fees would be paid after all.

However, unknown to him, Aliu had other plans and that was to be Kunbi’s last appearance. Sensing sinister plans, the family conducted a search through out Thursday’ night only to find Kunbi’s lifeless body behind Aliu’s compound on Friday around 9am.

The discovery of the body, a source said, threw the entire neighbourhood into confusion and mourning.
According to the source, there was a mark of violence all over his body, while the five fingers of the victim were severed.

A rope was also found tied round his neck, which depicted that he might have been strangled. The confusion led to the invitation of the police, who arrested Aliu and four other suspects.
Before Aliu’s arrest, residents said, he was seen on Friday’s morning fetching water from Kunbi’s compound.

One of the residents said: “The number of times he went to fetch water arouse the curiosity of residents, necessitating the brave ones to ask what he was doing with the unusual volume of water he was fetching.
“ Not satisfied with his explanation, some of the residents, it was learnt, forced their way into his apartment, where they allegedly discovered, to their shock, blood stains all over the place. The suspect was said to have been using the water to clean up the bloodstains in his apartment, apparently to cover up his track.

“Also, shattered louvres were reportedly seen all over the apartment”, a resident said.

“When we went through the telephone, Kunbi left when he rushed out that Thursday’s night, we discovered that Aliu called him last.

“But, when we asked him, Aliu denied ever seeing Kunbi, insisting rather that a search party be raised to look for him.

“However, what gave him away was the bloodstain that was trailed to Aliu’s apartment, right to where Kunbi’s body was dumped.

“We also saw a white cloth stained with blood, on the floor and the key of Kunbi’s shop in Aliu’s apartment. “When he discovered that the game was up, he pleaded that we should not kill him and disclosed that the plan to kill Kunbi was hatched by his friends.”

Kunbi’s land lady, who described him as a hard working young man said she sent her daughter on that fateful day to go and lock the gate, only for her to come back to say that Kunbi’s shop was still opened at that odd hour.

“I decided to come down myself to lock the gate and still met the shop opened. I was surprised because it was very much unlike him. He never kept late nights nor lived a frivolous life. I decided to go downstairs to lock the gate myself, with the intention that he would call when he returned.

“ One boy said he left the shop at about 8pm, and when I asked where he went to, he could not provide answer. I decided to call him on the phone, only to discover it was ringing right in his shop. Two hours later, I called the boy who said he saw Kunbi going out, to find out if he was back but he said no. At that moment, I knew something was wrong and informed my husband.

“To my shock, after my morning devotion, I went out only to see a crowd watching a lifeless body that was covered with nylon. On further enquiry, it was Kunbi’s body”, the landlady added.

Meanwhile, the five suspects arrested in connection with the crime are in custody at Alonge Oworo Police Division, which the spokesman of the Lagos State Police Command, Joe Offor, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, who confirmed the incident, said investigation into the matter is still on-going.