Rose
The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a woman, Helen Okeke, who allegedly killed her neighbour, identified only as Rose, in the Ikota, Ajah area of the state. Okeke slit Rose’s throat after the duo reportedly had an argument over who poured urine on the latter’s clothes that were spread on the entrance door to her room.
The incident occurred at about 5pm last Wednesday in the Ikota Housing Estate, Ikota Second Gate area. Rose, who was reportedly preparing for her wedding, had returned from work in the afternoon, and noticed a foul smell on the clothes spread on her door. It was learnt that the deceased went to the landlady, Alhaja Iyabo Hamzat, to report the matter. The landlady was said to have pacified her, offering to give her the money to buy some detergent to wash the clothes.
It was gathered that after some minutes, other neighbours, however, heard Rose’s sudden cry for help in the corridor. The suspect was said to have been found holding the deceased by the neck, with a bloodstained kitchen knife in her hand. The matter was said to have been reported to the Ajah Police Division, Ajiwe, and Okeke was arrested.
Alhaja Hamzat said she had served a notice to Okeke, commonly known as Mama Chinedu, on several occasions to pack out of the house, adding that the suspect refused to leave.
She said, “At about 5pm that day, Rose came to my apartment. She said she came to report Iya Chinedu.
“She said when she returned from her workplace, she found her curtain, towel and other clothes drenched with urine. She said she suspected that it was Iya Chinedu who poured the substance on her clothes.
“I begged Rose and told her that I would give her money to buy detergent to wash the clothes. She had hardly returned to her room when we heard screams of ‘help help!’ We all rushed there and we saw Rose in a pool of blood with Iya Chinedu holding a bloodstained knife.
“With shock, we rushed Rose to a hospital, but she died on the way.
“Iya Chinedu moved into my house just last year. She moved in with her son. The son later left, saying she was fed up with her mother. I had served her quit notices on several occasions, but she refused to move out.
“I went to the police at Ikota to report her, but the policemen there said they would not meddle in landlord-tenants’ affairs.”