Daniel Anokwuru
The family of Mr. Fidelis Nwola is currently in untold pain, following the murder of their son, Peter Nwola, 24.
The family had looked forward to celebrating the Christmas in a joyful mood, not knowing that death was lurking around the corner.
It was gathered that the deceased was allegedly stabbed to death on Monday, November 25, 2019, about 11:pm, at Juba Alaro Street in Ikotun area of Lagos by an Hausa food vendor, simply identified as kawakudi, following an argument over payment for N100 bread he had purchased from the Hausa boy.
Peter had visited his murderer’s shop to buy bread and tea, as he normally did. According to an eye witness, Kunle Oguniyi, immediately he was served his requested food, and after eating, Peter gave his alleged killer some money and told him to use the N100 he was owing him the previous night to offset the balance. However, Kawakudi denied owing him. Immediately Peter made an attempt to leave the scene, the Hausa boy drew dagger from his waist and allegedly stabbed him to death.
Speaking on the death of his son at their residence at 63, Kolawole Street, Egbe, the bereaved father, Mr. Fidelis Nwola, said his once peaceful home had been devastated by the death of his son. The 68-year-old Okada rider from Izzi, in Ebonyi State, stressed that many people in the community know how to get the culprit arrested, but claimed that the police are not handling the matter with seriousness.
He alleged that the Investigating Police officer, one Mr. Ojo, from Ikotun Police Station, after speaking Hausa with the leaders of the Hausa in the community, told him to go that he would call him, but since then, the IPO has been sounding discordant.
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He said: “We reported the matter at Ikotun Police Station. The police invited all of us. Someone said he knew how to get the Hausa boy anywhere he is. The leaders of the Hausa in the community were there in the meeting. The IPO was speaking Hausa with them.
“One of the Hausa leaders said that he knew me very well, that he must make sure that the boy is arrested. They told me that they would call the landlord, who gave them house in the street and that I should go. Since then, they have been turning me up and down. I told the IPO that they should give me approval to go and bury my son since they are not ready to provide the boy.
“He told me to go and provide an affidavit. I brought the affidavit but he said it was not properly done. We are frustrated now; we don’t know what to do again. My son was 24 years old. He celebrated his last birthday on November 1, 2019, and was stabbed on November 25, 2019, he died on November 26, 2019, at Bisalam Hospital in Ikotun. He was my second son and very hardworking.”
The Nigerian Xpress reporter also visited the deceased’s mother, Mrs. Ruth Nwola, in her shop at Alhaji Omilewura Street, where she sells used clothes. She was sleeping inside the kiosk when the reporter got there. She spoke with the reporter in tears and anger. According to her, her son’s alleged killer had benefited from his late son in the past.
She said: “I am in serious pain. This boy was the hope of the family. The Hausa boy that killed him had benefited from him in the past. My son always ate there. Few days before he was killed, my son gave him N2,000 when he approached him that he had a problem.
“Now he killed him just because of N100. We have been going to the police and we are tired. All the Hausa here, both those driving Okada and those pushing cart have knives in their waists. If the police want to get the boy, they would have done that since. They were many when they ran away. All the Hausa in the community ran away immediately they killed him.”
When the reporter visited the scene of the crime at Juba Alaro Street, the reporter saw the table and chair of the suspect, which were set ablaze by angry youths from the area. One of the eyewitnesses, Mr. Murphy Ola, who sells drink in a bar opposite the scene, told the reporter that Peter was a very nice person, and loved by the youths in the community due to his generosity. He said he usually bought food for boys in the community whenever he came to eat.
“The Aboki boy was selling noodles, tea and bread. Peter was sitting in our shop; he requested for tea and bread. The boy served him. When he finished eating, he gave him some money and asked him to use the balance he was owing him to offset the N100 remaining.
“The Aboki refused and said he was not owing him. They started arguing. Peter left him and was walking away; immediately he brought out a knife and stabbed him from the back. He fell down immediately. We brought a vehicle to take him to the hospital but ran short of fuel on the way. We now got a bike and put him on it, but he latter died.
“All the Aboki in the community ran away that night. One of the landlords in the street gave all of them free accommodation. The leader of the Hausa in the community knows where the suspect is but they are hiding him,” Ola narrated.
Denying the claim of the deceased’s father, that the police is not doing enough in Investigating the matter, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Bala Elkana, told the reporter that the police are in touch with the bereaved family. He said the boy is from Niger Republic and not an Hausa.
The PPRO said: “Police are in touch with the family. The suspect is not an Hausa; he is from Niger Republic. He is on the run and we are tracking him. He said he wanted to go and bury his son, but the police told him that he must provide an autopsy result because without that, he will jeopardise the case in court. He said he does not want case, that even if we arrest the suspect that his son will never wake up. But saying he does not want case is not enough. That he killed somebody here and ran away, we will never allow him to go to another place and kill another person and run away again. We must get him arrested.”
