The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a 45-year-old father of five, who allegedly beat his girlfriend to death over suspected infidelity. The incident occurred on the deceased’s birthday—July 28.
Vanguard gathered that the deceased, identified simply as Happiness, visited her lover’s home at 5/7 Michael Osisipi Street, off Banjo Oyewele Street, Ago Palace Way, from where they went to a club around the area to celebrate her birthday.
Trouble, as gathered, started after the suspect, Victor Umeh, sighted Happiness discussing with a man, discovered to be her former boyfriend.
The discussion, according to Umeh, a trader at Ladipo Market, lasted over 15 minutes. He reportedly left the club in anger, leaving the deceased behind. Time was 12.45a.m. The fight On realising that Umeh had left, Happiness went to his house, where an argument that degenerated into a fight ensued. Her shout for help alerted neighbours, including a gateman, identified simply as Adamu. On reaching Umeh’s flat, he was reportedly seen trying to hide a substance, which turned out to be late Happiness’ mobile telephone.
The curious neighbours were said to have searched the flat for the victim, only to discover her lifeless body behind Umeh’s window. Policemen at Ago Division were immediately contacted, consequent upon which Umeh was arrested, from where he was transferred to the State Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Department, SCIID.
His family Investigation revealed that Umeh’s wife and five children travelled to his village in Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State. Vanguard gathered that immediately after the incident, the suspect contacted his wife to come to Lagos and move his property to the village. One of the neighbours, who spoke with Vanguard, said: “Our gateman allowed her inside that night because she was seen with Victor the previous day.
The gateman was first alerted by the shout for help and by the time he got close to the window, he saw somebody running.
“Her desperate shout for help was intensive, but with time it became faint until it stopped. He tried to escape and hide the deceased phone on a fence so as to make it difficult for the Police to trace her death to him. If he had succeeded we would have been in trouble.”
How we met—Suspect However, during investigation, the suspect denied being responsible for Happiness’s death.
Rather, he claimed he left her behind at the club, adding that he did not know how her corpse found its way behind his window. He admitted to have met her last Wednesday at Cele Bus Stop, from where he brought her home.
Police sources hinted that marks of violence were found on the deceased’s body. Policemen at Ago Division took the body to the Isolo General Hospital Mortuary.
Information at Vanguard’s disposal revealed that the address of the deceased was unknown. A man who was contacted on her phone admitted to knowing her, adding that she was from Plateau State.