Hoodlums have killed a landlord, Akinola Agbede, who was set to to relocate abroad with his family at Ajuwon in Akute area of Ogun State.
The hoodlums reportedly attacked the victim in the presence of wife and children at his residence and matcheted him to death.
Agbede, who was said to have secured the visas with his family to relocate abroad after selling his house, was alleged killed by the hoodlums for reprimanding two of their colleagues for stealing Shawarma at a shop close to his residence.
According to a resident, who preferred anonymity, the community elders detained but later released the two suspected Shawarma thieves after they had been cautioned.
He said the suspects were not happy with Agbede’s role in the repremanding them and they allegedly mobilised the hoodlums to attack the deceased at his residence.
He said: “We were told one of the boys stole shawarma. When the boy stole the Shawarma, some elders in the area caught him and his accomplice and paraded them in the area. They were made to kneel down and given some other punishments.
“When Agbede came around, he wondered why the suspects, whose ages were between 21 and 25, would be stealing. He asked why they decided to be stealing at such a young age and hit one of them with his hand. He later left the place and the elders in the community released the suspects afterwards.
“But after some time, one of the boys (suspects) told Agbede that they would cut the hand he used in hitting them. A day before they attacked Agbede at his house, the suspects used dangerous weapons including broken bottles to chase him in the area.
“Agbede was at home with his family members when the suspects and their accomplices invaded the premises and used a machete to hack him to death in front of his wife in the midnight of June 8.
“Though the hoodlums were later arrested by policemen attached to the Ajuwon Police Station but it was a sad experience for his family because he was already planning to travel abroad with his wife and children. Their visas were even ready, he had sold his house; he collected N10m and had a balance of N1.5m.
“Agbede’s wife and children had been taken away from the house because of the shock of the incident. I can no longer visit the house also as blood was all over the crime scene.
“All of us in the community are demanding justice for Agbede. The hoodlums are fond of terrorising residents and business owners in the community. Even after the attack, the suspects alongside their accomplices had robbed a shop in the area.”
Meanwhile, the Ogun State Police Command’s spokesperson, Omolola Odutola, confirmed the incident, saying three suspects had been arrested.
In a statement, she said: “The victim’s name is Akinola Agbede, 43. It was a concerned citizen that called the attention of the DPO to the incident. When he got there, he met Agbede lying down in a pool of blood. The suspects used a machete to cut him all over his body. He was rushed to a hospital in Akute where he died.
“When the suspects got to Agbede’s house, they were demanding his travel documents and money. He did not give them and they killed him and ran away. Three of the boys have been arrested. The case is with the State Criminal Investigation Department.”
