Tailor slumps, dies after death threat by neighbour

A 23-year-old man from Obafe Owode, Abeokuta, Ogun State, slumped and died after a threat from a member of the community in the Orobiyi, Alagbado area of Lagos State, on Sunday.

The deceased was said to have died few hours after the suspected killer, (names withheld), threatened him that he would not live to see the next day to open his shop.

Lagos Metro gathered that the deceased fashion designer died when he returned from where he had gone to watch a football match on the field.

It was learnt that when the deceased returned from where he had gone to watch a football match, he saw a 10-year-old boy in front of his fashion designing shop and asked the boy what he wanted.

The boy was said to have given an unknown man a sum of N500 which was originally meant for an errand by his father in exchange of  N1,000 which the man promised him.

Lagos Metro gathered that the man ran away immediately he collected the money from the boy.

Dahud Owolabi, who claimed to be the deceased room-mate, told Lagos Metro on a visit to the place that the killer threatened the deceased openly that he would not live till the next day to open his shop.

“Lukemon was my room mate. He was very nice and respectful. When he finished eating bread and butter around 10.00 a.m. yesterday (Sunday), we went to the field to watch football.

“We decided to come back to the shop, and when we got there, we saw an 11-year-old boy in front of his shop with some people.

“We asked him what he wanted, he said that a man collected N500 from him and said he was going to exchange it with N1,000 and that the man ran away,” he said.

“We told the young boy to discribe the man who collected money from him, he said the man is fat and was putting on Ankara cloth. We initially thought it was a resident, a man popularly called Bishop, because he is also fat.

“When we called on Bishop, we asked the boy if it was Bishop that collected the money from him and he said ‘no’. We had to tell him to go home since he did not even know the man who collected the money.

“After some time, the boy’s father came and begin to shout, telling the deceased and the people that were around to produce the money which we know nothing about. We told him that we were not responsible for the money. Then he left shouting.

“Suddenly, he came back with a LASTMA official and was threatening the deceased that since the whole thing happened in front of his shop, he must provide the money. In the course of the argument, he openly said that if the deceased does not provide the money, he won’t live to open his shop today (Monday).

“Lukemon rejected the statement and he left the place for his house. After few hours, he slumped and died on the road at about 12 noon on his way back to his shop,” he said.

Lagos Metro learnt that when the suspected killer heard that Lukemon had died, he tried to run away as angry mob tried to burn his house, but he was later rescued by policemen from Alagbado division and was taken to police station.

Meanwhile, the body of the deceased was said to have been buried in his father’s house at Ijoko.

Lagos police spokesperson, Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the incident.

“One Adam Shotunde reported that the suspect threatened his son, that he would not live to open his shop tomorrow (Monday).

“The deceased slumped and died. Joint team of patrol vehicles led by Ibrahim Akinlade moved to the scene to remove the body to suppress further tension.

“The father of the deceased resisted the action of the police on ground that he wanted to bury his son according to Islamic rites. Investigation is ongoing,” she said.