Written by Adebayo Waheed
Wednesday, January 26, 2011

A landlord, Mr Isiaka Oluwakemi, has been arrested by the police in Oyo State, for allegedly killing a 35-year-old tenant, Jelili Akande, over N300 electricity bill.



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The incident, the Nigerian Tribune learnt, occurred on Monday, in Moniya, Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State, when the deceased was going to his office.

It was gathered on Tuesday that the deceased, a staffer of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, had owed N300 electricity bill for sometime and whenever the landlord asked him, he would promise to pay at the end of the month.

On Monday, a source told the Nigerian Tribune that the deceased and the landlord had just finished praying inside the mosque when he (the landlord) approached him for the payment of the money and, as usual, he promised to pay at the end of the month.

According to the source, the tenant had hardly finished his explanation when the landlord picked quarrel with him, insisting that he had to pay the money before going to office that day.

It was learnt that the wife of the deceased came out when the argument ensued and decided to pay N200 with a promise that she would pay the balance of N100 when she returned in the evening.

This, the Nigerian Tribune learnt, did not go down well with the landlord, who dragged the tenant, slapped him, before hitting him on his chest.

The source said the deceased collapsed immediately, while all efforts to revive him failed.

He was first taken to a nearby hospital, where he was confirmed dead, before he was rushed to the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, where his remains were deposited at the mortuary.

The landlord, according to the source, was consequently arrested and taken to Moniya police station for interrogation.

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Olatunji Ajimuda, confirmed the incident, adding that the matter would soon be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for further investigation.

http://odili.net/news/source/2011/jan/26/613.html