By Vincent Ekpo
A tragic incident has unfolded in the Ajah area of Lagos State, where a 65-year-old transport manager, Chief Augustine Nwalieze, was allegedly murdered by his gateman under circumstances that remain unclear.
The deceased, a manager with Okeyson Transport, was reportedly attacked on Sunday morning at his residence shortly after preparing to attend church service.
A family member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, expressed deep grief over the incident.
“I have been very heartbroken since yesterday. Something very bad happened to my father-in-law yesterday,” the source said.
According to the source, the deceased had stepped downstairs to the car park area where spare parts from his vehicles and a solar panel were kept when the attack occurred.
“My father-in-law’s gateman killed him yesterday. He had prepared for church service when the incident happened. He walked downstairs to the car park, close to the store where spare parts from his cars are kept and a solar panel that was stored there,” he explained.
Concern arose when the family noticed that none of the deceased’s vehicles had been moved and repeated calls to his phone went unanswered.
“Nobody could really tell what happened. They didn’t hear the sound of any car driving off or the gate opening. His three cars were still parked, so they became worried about his whereabouts. They called his phone, but he didn’t pick up,” he added.
Suspicion reportedly shifted to the gateman after he provided conflicting information about the victim’s whereabouts.
“They went to the gateman, and he mentioned one of his friends, claiming he went out with him. But when the wife called that same friend, he said he hadn’t seen him that day,” the source said.
The gateman later fled, further raising suspicion.
“By the time they returned to question him again, he had disappeared. That was when they began to search the compound thoroughly,” he added.
The search led to a horrifying discovery.
“They found his lifeless body in one of the flats downstairs. He had machete cuts on his head, hands and body. It was a terrible sight,” the source disclosed.
The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital but was confirmed dead on arrival.
The deceased lived with his wife, daughter, two maids, and another woman, all of whom were upstairs at the time of the incident.
The case has been reported to the police, who have commenced an investigation.
“The case has been reported to the police station, and officers have already visited the scene. Efforts are ongoing to locate the gateman who is currently on the run,” the source said.
As of the time of filing this report, the Lagos State Police Command had yet to issue an official statement
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