Joy Anyim
The police in Lagos have arrested a 20-year-old foodstuff seller, at No. 44 Idimu Road, Ejigbo, Sunday Donatus, for allegedly stabbing a youngster, Ugonabo Chisom, to death, during a fight.
The Nigerian Xpress gathered that the Ebonyi-born Donatus had on September 15, engaged the deceased and four others in a violent clash at his shop, where he pulled out a knife and stabbed the deceased on the chest.
Speaking to the Nigerian Xpress on the cause of the brawl, the suspect said his neighbour, simply identified as Mrs. Ifeanyi, was at the centre of it all.
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According to him, Mrs. Ifeanyi’s brother-in-law, identified as Nnaemeka, had on the said day, gone to buy alcoholic beverages for their visitor.
Donatus said he had exchanged pleasantries with the young man and also requested to participate in the drinking feast, which Nnaemeka agreed to. The suspect noted that he had gone to check up on Nnaemeka to get his own drink when an argument ensued between him and Mrs. Ifeanyi, who later called her husband on phone to inform him of the argument. The husband had reportedly called the five-man gang to go and beat up Donatus for insulting his wife, an act which turned violent, leading to the death of the deceased.
Telling his story, Donatus, who was first arrested by the Ejigbo Police Division and later transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Panti, Yaba, said: “Nnaemeka was with his visitors at the backyard when I went to use the convenience. I reminded him of his promise to also buy me a drink since he was doing same for his visitors. He pulled out N500 note, and asked me to go and buy a bottle for myself. I called my friend, Chinonso, who was around to go and help me buy the drink because I could not leave the shop. Chinonso also requested to be treated to a bottle of drink, which Nnaemeka obliged him.
“Chinonso bought the drink and while we were drinking and discussing with Nnaemeka and his friends, the brother’s wife, Mrs. ifeanyi, came in. He called Nnaemeka, but Nnaemeka asked her to go in, that he would talk to her later. She went in and called her husband, telling him that I was harassing their guests, holding them hostage, insisting they buy me a drink. The husband called me on phone, asking why I was harassing his guests. I told him nothing of such had happened, that we were even chatting. He also called Nnaemeka, who confirmed there was no problem.
“Minutes later, the wife stepped out and my friend, Chinonso, greeted her, but she did not respond. He then called her Uye Oga Ekwurekwu (wife of a talkative). She got angry and started raining insult on Chinonso. I had to start begging her, explaining to her that it was all a joke. Nnaemeka also got angry and was cautioning Chinonso. I pleaded with them and the case was settled. We did not know that Mrs. Ifeanyi had called her husband, who, in turn, sent a five-man gang to come and beat me up.
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“I was in my shop when the boys arrived. They asked who was the young man, insulting Mrs. Ifeanyi; Nnaemeka pointed at me. I asked them who sent them and they said it was Mr. Ifeanyi. I picked up my phone to call him, but they took my phone form me and immediately the boys pounced on me. It was in self-defence that I ran into my shop, picked a knife and while they were beating me, I stabbed one of them. I did not even know who or where, not until much later that I was told that the guy I stabbed on the chest had died.”
While pleading for leniency, Donatus said he never meant to kill the deceased, as he had only brought out the knife to scare the gang away.
He said: “Please, I beg to be forgiven. I did not mean to kill the boy. Since they brought me to SCIID, my family has not been here. My parents are in the village, while the shop where I sell belonged to my uncle.”
Efforts to reach the spokesman of Lagos State Police Command, DSP Elkana Bala, was unsuccessful.
