Posted on: 08:53 Mon, 30 Nov 2015



Some hoodlums started a street fight
on Olorogun Street, Odo Eran, in the
Itire area of Lagos State on Tuesday,
during which a 21-year-old stabbed
a landlord, identified as Alawu
Lateef, to death.

PUNCH Metro learnt that Lateef, who
was a father of three, had intervened
in the fight, and asked the hoodlums
to leave the area, when one of them,
identified as Lati Elepo , stabbed the
landlord.

It was gathered that the father of
three slumped, while residents
arrested Elepo before he could
escape with the other hoodlums. The
matter was said to have been
reported at the Itire Police Division.

Our correspondent learnt that the
hoodlums, numbering six boys, had
come from Osindero Street to meet
one Balogun, who they claimed owed
them about N30,000.

It was learnt that when the hoodlums
did not meet Balogun at home, they
started to make trouble on the street.

The landlord, Lateef, who worked as
a panel beater, was said to have
asked Elepo to leave the area with
his gang members. The hoodlum,
however, stabbed him in the chest.

Friends and family members rushed
the landlord to a private hospital in
the area, from where he was
referred to the Lagos University
Teaching Hospital, Idi Araba, where
he was confirmed dead.

His corpse was afterwards brought to
the Itire division.

When PUNCH Metro visited the area,
one of his neighbours, who identified
himself simply as Rashidi, said
Lateef did not have any business
with the miscreants, but only tried to
pacify them when Elepo stabbed him
on the chest.

Rashidi added that Elepo and two
other suspects were arrested by the
police.

He said, “It was at about 11am when
these boys from Osindero stormed
our street. They are teenagers. They
are not cultists. They said Balogun
owed them N30,000 which they must
collect from him.

“Lateef did not want such
commotion on the street. So, he came
out to caution them to take things
calmly. The one who stabbed him
was drunk.

“While Lateef spoke with them, the
suspect went to a shop of an artisan
who sharpens knives and other
metals, grabbed about three knives
and stabbed Lateef on the chest.

Resident arrested him and dragged
him to the police station while other
hoodlums ran away.”

The landlord’s wife was said to be
too distraught to talk with PUNCH
Metro as of the time of visit.

Another neighbour, who spoke on
condition of anonymity said, “Lateef
was a nice man. His wife gave birth
to their third child just two months
ago. If Balogun was around, Lateef
would not have intervened in the
rampage.”

Our correspondent gathered that
policemen visited the street in the
evening and raided other suspected
hoodlums lurking in the area.

The Lagos State Police Public
Relations Officer, DSP Joe Offor, said
he would get back to our
correspondent on the incident.

He, however, had yet to get back as
of press time.