A 65-year-old transport manager, Chief Augustine Nwalieze, has been allegedly killed by his gateman at his residence in the Ajah area of Lagos State.
The incident, which occurred on Sunday morning, has left the victim’s family in shock. Nwalieze, said to be a manager with Okeyson Transport, was reportedly attacked shortly after preparing to attend church.
A family member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the deceased had gone downstairs to the parking area of his residence, where vehicle spare parts and a solar panel were kept.
According to the source, concern arose when the victim could not be reached and none of his vehicles had been moved.
“Family members noticed that his cars were still parked and his phone calls were not answered. That was when they became worried about his whereabouts,” the source said.
Suspicion later fell on the gateman after he reportedly gave inconsistent accounts regarding the victim’s location.
“The gateman initially claimed that the deceased had gone out with a friend, but when the said friend was contacted, he denied seeing him,” the source added.
The gateman was said to have fled the premises shortly after, prompting a search of the compound.
During the search, the victim’s body was discovered in one of the flats within the building. He was subsequently taken to a nearby hospital, where he was confirmed dead.
The deceased was said to be living in the house with his wife, daughter, two domestic staff, and another occupant, who were upstairs at the time of the incident.
The case has been reported to the police, who have commenced an investigation and are making efforts to locate the suspect, said to be on the run.
As of the time of filing this report, the Lagos State Police Command had yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
