Tenant Kills 85-Year-Old Landlady With Knife Over N9,000 Debt

The police in Ogun State have arrested a tenant, identified simply as Abdullahi, for allegedly killing his landlady, Raliat Olasupo, in the Ibafo area of the state. PUNCH Metro learnt that Abdullahi slaughtered the 85-year-old landlady with a knife during an altercation over N9,000 said to be an amount the landlady was supposed to pay Abdullahi for a service rendered. It was learnt that the service was the roofing of one of the rooms in the house, which Abdullahi reportedly coordinated and demanded N9,000 from the landlady.

It was gathered that Olasupo, popularly called Iya Ibadan, had accused Abdullahi of being a trouble maker, and had got the police to arrest the tenant and eject him from the house. However, on Friday, Abdullahi allegedly sneaked into her landlady’s room at about 8pm, and slaughtered her with a knife. It was learnt that other tenants and neighbours later found the woman in a pool of blood. The matter was thereafter reported at the Ibafo Police Division, and Abdullahi was arrested.

When PUNCH Metro visited Akinpelu Street, where the landlady stayed, it was learnt that Olasupo’s remains had been taken to Ibadan and buried by her family. A tenant, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Abdullahi, who had been with the landlady for about four years, cut the woman’s neck with a knife and staggered out, behaving like a drunken man. He said, “On Friday, we were sleeping when there was an alarm at about 10pm. All of us rushed into the landlady’s room, and found her in a pool of blood. There were knife cuts on her neck and other parts of her body. Abdullahi was still around the area.

“Abdullahi used to be a good friend of the landlady, but they fell out about two weeks ago. There was an issue bordering on the roofing of one of the rooms in the house, and Abdullahi was the one who coordinated the people who worked there. “I think the work was not properly done, and the man demanded N9,000 from the landlady as payment for the work. So, they had a disagreement. “Some days ago, the landlady brought policemen from Ibafo to warn Abdullahi, and to ask him to leave the house. His property was thrown out, and the landlady warned him not to return to the house.”

The tenant added that they were shocked when Abdullahi, who had threatened to deal with the landlady, then showed up on Friday to attack the woman in her room. A resident in the area, identified as Akinlade, said Abdullahi had planned to disguise out of the area, and escape police arrest. He said, “On that day, after returning from the landlady’s room and feigning that he was drunk, he slipped into another tenant’s room and changed clothes. He was about escaping when the other tenants caught him.

Olasupo’s grandson, Olaide, told our correspondent that the landlady was taken to her hometown in Ibadan for burial, adding that the Hausa community in Ibafo had also met with the family on the incident. He said, “Mama has been buried already, and we do not want to interfere with the police investigations. The man has been arrested, and he is in Ibafo Police Division. The Seriki of the Hausa community in Ibafo has met with us. “Abdullahi, apart from the recent clash, had also at a time sold some of mama’s livestock, and failed to remit the money. When she asked him to leave the house , he threatened that he would kill the landlady, but we all thought it was a joke.”

The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed the incident. The police spokesman added that the matter had been transferred to the State Department of Criminal Investigation, Abeokuta, for further investigation. He said, “The suspect is in our custody, and investigations are ongoing on the matter. The matter is now with the SDCI, Abeokuta. When we conclude our investigation, the suspect will definitely be charged to court.”