Landlord Sets Tenant Ablaze In Lagos, Pushes Him Down From 3 Storey Building (Photo)

A landlord in the Idumota, Lagos
Island area of Lagos State, Sola
Solomon, has allegedly poured petrol
and set fire to one of his tenants,
identified simply as Abeeb, aka
Ogbon.
PUNCH Metro learnt that as the victim
struggled to put out the flames, the
67-year-old landlord pushed him
down from the top floor of the three-
storey building.
The father of one was said to have
landed with a thud, as the flames ate
through his body.
Our correspondent was told that
Abeeb had barely spent five months
in the house located on Iga
Idunganran Street, Idumota, when he
was killed.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the
incident was caused by a
disagreement over the use of the
compound toilet.
A tenant in the house, who spoke on
condition of anonymity, explained
that the quarrel had been settled in
the evening and she had pleaded with
both parties to maintain the peace.
She said, “Before the incident of
yesterday (Monday), there has been a
quarrel in the house over the use of
the toilet.
“Everybody had complained that the
landlord always messed up the toilet
after use.
“But yesterday, he had another
quarrel with the Abeeb over the use
of the toilet. During the argument, he
threatened to set the man ablaze; the
man also dared him.
“I called Abeeb and calmed him
down; I also called the landlord and
appealed to him to let the matter go,
and he said he had forgiven Abeeb.”
PUNCH Metro learnt that the
landlord, however, was sighted by
residents later that evening carrying a
jerrycan, saying he was going to buy
fuel.
The Ondo State indigene was alleged
to have bought the fuel and waited
patiently in his room till the victim
returned from a football viewing
centre where he had gone to watch an
European league match between
Arsenal and Liverpool football clubs.
It was learnt that around 12am, the
landlord wet the passageway of the
house and knocked on the door of the
deceased.
Another tenant, who asked not to be
named, said the victim’s wife pleaded
with him not to go out.
The continuous rap on the door was
said to have forced Abeeb out to
confront the intruder, only to see the
landlord with a container of fuel.
He said, “As he stepped out of the
house, the landlord poured the petrol
on him. Before Abeeb could snatch
the jerrycan from him, the landlord
had ignited fire with a lighter in his
hand.
“Abeeb struggled to put out the fire,
but the landlord pushed him down
from the third floor. He fell to the
ground and died.”
Our correspondent gathered that the
quick intervention of security guards
in the area stopped the fire from
escalating.
The other tenants in the house were
said to have abandoned the building
and fled for fear of being killed.
PUNCH Metro learnt that policemen
from the Adeniji Adele Police Division
later arrived at the scene to remove
Abeeb’s corpse. The police also took
the landlord, who sustained burns
injuries to the hospital.
A resident, John Ameh, said the
landlord was initially rejected at the
Lagos Island General Hospital and was
taken to the Gbagada General
Hospital.
The former occupant of Abeeb’s
room, Ruka Rufai, regretted passing
the room to the deceased, saying she
left the room due to constant threat to
her life from the landlord.
She said, “I left that the room about
five months ago. The landlord
threatened me, so I decided to vacate
the room. Abeeb pleaded with me
that he needed the accommodation.
Now, he has been killed.”
One of Abeeb’s friends, who did not
want to be identified, expressed
doubt that the suspect would face
justice.
The friend, who claimed to be in the
same football academy with the
victim, said he was shocked when he
learnt about the incident on the
Facebook wall of a mutual friend.
PUNCH Metro was told that grief-
stricken friends of the victim had
planned to set the house ablaze, but
could not due to the heavy presence
of security agents.
A resident, Habib Suleiman, urged the
state government to pursue the case
against the suspect to a logical end
and seize the property.
The Police Public Relations Officer,
Patricia Amadin, had yet to get back
to our correspondent when contacted
on the development as of the time of
filing this report.