Man arrested for stabbing best friend to death

CP Lagos. Owoseni

The grieving lover of a man, who was stabbed to death by his best friend at the Ajao Estate, Lagos State, has revealed how her man died.

The woman, Ngozi Okpara, said that her lover, Ifeanyi Onuoha, was stabbed on the head and back by his friend Raphael Nwoye.

It was gathered that immediately Nwoye realized that Onuoha was dead, he rushed to his home, packed his belongings, attempting to bolt.

Three men were said to have chased after him, blocked his exit. Determined to escape, he inflicted injuries on the men, but they eventually overpowered him.

Nwoye was arrested by policemen from Isolo Police Station. He was transferred to the State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba, Lagos.

The incident, which occurred on Tuesday at Niyi Ogungbamiru Street, Ajao Estate, left residents reeling in shock.

Trouble was said to have started after Nwoye accused Onuoha of beating his girlfriend.

One of their friends invited both for settlement. During the peace talk, tempers flailed.

Fuming, Nwoye rushed off the peace venue, only to return with a kitchen knife. Before people knew what was happening, he stabbed Onuoha on the neck and behind. The deceased died on the spot.

Weeping profusely, Okpara said that she and Onuoha were inside his apartment when one Tony came to call Onuoha for a peace talk.

Okpara said: “After some a few hours, someone came and called me that my husband had been stabbed to death at Omolabake Street. I dashed to the scene. When I got there I met Ifeanyi in a pool of his blood. He was about to be evacuated by the policemen. My husband and Raphael both work at the same factory.

“But early this year, Raphael came to our house and threatened to kill my Ifeanyi. He told me to warn Ifeanyi, that whenever he comes across him, he would make sure he terminates his life. I warned Ifeanyi from relating with the suspect.”

She appealed to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police in ensuring justice was done.

“I heard was that the Raphael’s master boasted that he was going to settle the police and bring Raphael out of detention,” said Okpara.

The deceased’s elder brother, Mr. Rufus Ogweri, residing in Ikotun Egbe, said: “Immediately I heard about the incident, I called his wife on phone to ascertain what was happening. When someone called me that he was dead, I didn’t believe it until I came and saw everything. We are asking for justice. We don’t want the case to be swept under the carpet.”

Another resident, simply identified as John said: “Before the incident, Raphael had been moving around the community with the knife inside his bag. At any slight provocation, he would bring it out, threatening to stab anybody that confronted him. What happened between him and the deceased didn’t warrant killing his friend.”

The State Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO) ,SP Dolapo Badmus, said the case had been transferred to the SCID for further investigation. She said that the remains of the deceased had been deposited at the Isolo General Hospital Mortuary.