Chef arrested for allegedly killing lawyer in Lagos hotel

A chef, Joshua Usulor, has been arrested by operatives of the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly killing a 34-year-old lawyer, Feyitayo Obot, who came to Lagos for a business meeting and lodged at a hotel in Opebi, Ikeja area of the state.

Usulor, in a bid to get money to clear his outstanding indebtedness to the hotel, allegedly sneaked into Obot’s room and in the process of robbing her, killed the lawyer.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Chike Oti, said an investigation into Obot’s murder led to the arrest of Usulor, who ran away from the hotel premises after perpetrating the crime.

Oti said, “On January 26, 2019, the Lagos State Police Command received a report that one Feyitayo Obot, 34, was gruesomely murdered in her hotel room at Opebi, Ikeja, by one Joshua Usulor, 21. Sequel to the report, the command sent its homicide detectives to the scene of the crime, where they collected important exhibits for forensic analysis.

“The body, which had multiple stab wounds in the abdominal region and its throat slit open with a sharp object, was recovered for an autopsy.

“Although the suspect absconded after committing the crime, the state Commissioner of Police, Zubairu Mu’azu, charged the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Panti, Yaba, Yetunde Longe, to leave no stone unturned in ensuring that the culprit was arrested and prosecuted.

“Painstaking investigation, however, led to the arrest of the suspect on Thursday, February 28, 2019, at his hideout in the Victoria Island area of the state. During interrogation, the suspect confessed to have committed the crime. He said he never met Ms Feyitayo Obot until the day he attacked her and that he was motivated to rob the deceased to enable him to offset his hotel bills, having spent two more days than the one day he paid for.”

Oti stated that Usulor made away with Obot’s phones and a cash sum of N26,000, adding that the victim died as a result of excessive loss of blood and disruption of the jugular vein.

He said, “To execute his plans undetected, Usulor claimed that he sneaked into the deceased’s room to steal her money and her phones, but she struggled with him and was overpowered. He then stabbed her with a sharp knife in the stomach and used the same knife to slit her throat. Satisfied that the woman was dead, he made away with her phones and cash sum of N26,000.

“Investigation revealed that the deceased was a lawyer, who came to Lagos for a business meeting and lodged at a hotel in Opebi, Ikeja. The autopsy result revealed that the following factors led to the death of the victim: excessive loss of blood, disruption of the left jugular vein and sharp force trauma.”

The PPRO stated that the suspect would be charged to court for murder, adding that the CP had directed that the case file be duplicated and forwarded to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions for legal advice.

The command also arrested one Amara Ezeodum, on Monday, March 4, 2019, for allegedly robbing one Oluwatosin Graig in the Lekki area of the state.

Oti said police operatives, who came to the victim’s rescue, arrested Ezeodum following a hot chase.

He said, “One Amara Ezeodum was, on Monday, March 4, 2019, nabbed by eagle-eyed policemen on anti-crime patrol on No. 66 Olaitan Sebanjo Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos. The cry of one Miss Oluwatosin Graig, who was robbed by the suspect, attracted the policemen led by CSP Isah Abdulmajid to the scene.

“The officers gave the felon a hot chase, arrested and recovered his gun from him.

“The CP has commended the efforts of the anti-crime patrol team of the Maroko Police Station and urged other police formations within the command to emulate it.”