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MONDAY , JUNE 19 , 2017 ... City , Crime , Courts 08185225745 , 08055126196
Kung fu kicks : Nigerians demand
Samson Folarin
SOME Nigerians have demanded the arrest and prosecution of Master Wan , a Chinese employee of Bedmate Furniture Company , who allegedly crippled a worker , William Ekanem , with Kung fu kicks on the premises of the company .
On different social media platforms , including PUNCH Online , Nigerians also asked the Ogun State Police Command to sanction the Divisional Crime Officer of the Ibafo Police Station for allegedly taking N50,000 bribe .
PUNCH Metro h a d reported that Ekanem , who had worked with the
Construction worker commits suicide after sacking
• Scene of the incident Samson Folarin
Photo : Samson Folarin
THE corpse of a construction worker has been found dangling from a rope tied to a mango tree at Isoto , Ajasa Command , in the Alimosho area of Lagos State . The victim , identified as Water , was said to be among those working on the construction of the Command-AIT Road . The corpse was said to have been found opposite the Alade
Stadium end of the road . The deceased was reportedly sacked recently , which residents claimed could be the reason for the suicide . PUNCH Metro learnt that the corpse was spotted around 2pm on Sunday by a resident , who raised the alarm . People in the community were said to have raced to the spot where the body was found . A member of the landlords ’ association in the area reportedly contacted policemen from the Meiran division .
A resident and witness , who spoke with our correspondent around 6pm , said although the police had arrived at the scene , the corpse was still dangling from the tree .
He said , “ There is scanty information about the man . He was found by someone in this area around 2pm and the person raised the alarm .
“ A crowd of people have been milling around the corpse since then . He put on a yellow polo shirt with the name , Lagos State Public Works Corporation , written at the back . The agency ’ s logo is also on the shirt . The action appeared deliberate . The man was among the workers employed by a private construction company to work on the Command-AIT Road . He was on daily pay , but was recently sacked . That may be the reason for the suicide .”
The resident told our correspondent that the victim couldn ’ t have been killed by anyone because of a building close to the scene of the incident .
“ If he was taken there by some persons , he would have screamed and people would have come to his rescue . Also , there is no sign of injuries on him to suggest that he was beaten to death before being hanged ,” he added .
PUNCH Metro learnt that some tenants in a house close to the scene had been invited by the police to make statements .
The resident later said officials of the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit had arrived at the scene to remove the corpse .
“ Three workers with SEHMU have just removed the body . They also took away his bag , which was at the foot of the tree ,” he added .
The state Police Public Relations Officer , Olarinde Famous-Cole , confirmed the incident , noting that the corpse had been deposited in the Lagos Mainland Hospital mortuary for autopsy .
“ The case has been transferred to the Divisional Crime Branch for further investigation ,” he added .
Chinese who crippled
company since 2007 , had a confrontation with Master Wan sometime in April 2017 over some foodstuffs the 27-year-old bought from a food vendor .
The Chinese man was alleged to have used his kung fu skills on the victim , kicking him from the back and stamping him on the chest .
The victim was taken to Beechland Hospital , Arepo , from where he was taken to Divine Touch Hospital after the former hospital allegedly said he was in a good condition .
A doctor at Divine Touch , Dr Dotun Odofin , however , said the victim sustained injuries which affected his mobility , adding that there was a “ loss of lumbo , sacral curvature , and associated muscular spasm resulting in his inability to walk , bend and flex .”
Odofin also said the c o m p a n y a b a n d o n e d Ekanem at his hospital .
The victim had also alleged that the DCO of Ibafo collected N50,000 from the Chinese company to deny him justice .
Although the company ’ s
Afeez Hanafi
THE ambience of Tayo Laose Close , Akinola Cole Estate , Adeniyi Jones , Ikeja , Lagos State , has been fraught with distress since a worker at Green World , a drug producing firm on the estate , allegedly killed his Chinese boss , Alice Xu .
PUNCH Metro learnt that the incident happened around 8pm on Friday at the firm , which the 26-year-old Chinese woman also used as a residence .
It was said that the suspect , 28-year-old Okechukwu Amos , a casual worker , sneaked into Xu ’ s apartment while she was asleep and covered her nose with a cloth until she suffocated .
O u r c o r r e s p o n d e n t gathered that the suspect had complained that the boss usually harassed him , and decided to “ deal with her ” that day .
Not done , Amos reportedly ransacked the apartment and allegedly stole about N800,000 and $ 2,000 , which belonged to the deceased .
lawyer did not respond to enquiries from PUNCH Metro , the Nigerian manager of the company , Lekan , said the victim was pretending .
T h e P o l i c e P u b l i c Relations Officer , Abimbola Oyeyemi , had said the Ibafo Divisional Police Officer was on a special assignment in Maiduguri , promising to get back to our correspondent later .
• Ekanem
Nigerians , however , called for justice for the victim , expressing disappointment in the police and the Nigerian company manager , Lekan .
On PUNCH Online , a reader , Obiejesi Kingsley , said , “ Dear P U N C H Newspapers , you guys have distinguished yourself as the voice of the voiceless in Nigeria . Please don ’ t allow this story to die . It is only in Nigeria that citizens are molested at will by foreigners and those who should protect us will look the other way . If this Chinese guy gets away with this , then it is a huge shame on Ogun State and Nigeria .”
Another reader , Akin , said , “ It is quite unfortunate that a Nigerian could be treated like this in his own country with the connivance of his
Worker kills Chinese boss
To evade arrest at the estate gate , which is manned by private guards and two policemen , our correspondent gathered that Amos disguised as a mentally-derailed person .
Luck , however , ran out on him .
A security guard , who spoke to PUNCH Metro on condition of anonymity , said the suspect almost escaped from the gate , but he unearthed his identity and alerted one of the policemen .
He said , “ I was at the security post around 9pm that day when I saw a man half-naked . He walked towards the gate bare-footed . He was holding a pair of slippers and carrying a load wrapped with a shirt on his head .
“ I initially took the man for a mad person , but after a closer look , I discovered that he is Ikechukwu ( Amos ). I asked him what was wrong and why he was dressed like that . He said he was angry and that he was quitting his job at the the company . I asked if the person that brought him to the company was aware , he said no .
“ I volunteered to call the person , but he refused . I requested to know the content of the bag with him , he was reluctant .
“ That was when I became suspicious and called a policeman , who was at the gate with me . He interrogated
• Amos
Photo : File
him and forced him to open the bag . The bag contained a lot of cash . He led the policeman to the company , where we found the woman dead .”
The guard said Amos was handed over to the police at the MAN Centre division .
When our correspondent