Chinese couple held for setting hotel on fire in Lagos

Burnt hotel room

Detectives attached to the Lagos State Police Command have arrested a 24-year-old Chinese national, Miss. Zhen Zhen, for allegedly burning down part of Ernest Hotel, located at Allen Avenue, Ikeja, while using suspected hard drug.

Zhen Zhen and her boyfriend, Jian Feng, were said to have booked into one of the hotel rooms on Tuesday. But some hours later, residents living around the area noticed thick smoke coming out from the couple’s hotel room and alerted the management.

Before fire-fighters dashed to the scene, property valued at about N24 million had been destroyed.

The manager of the hotel said: “The Chinese lady and her boyfriend, Jian Feng, checked into their hotel room without any problem. But some hours later, we had another guest, who wanted to book into another executive room. We sent a cleaner to go and checkout the room. It was when the cleaner got to the executive wing of the hotel that he smelt stench of hard drugs coming from the direction of the Chinese’s couple room.”

The manager continued: “The cleaner came to report that he saw a broken plate, spoon and dirt at the entrance of the couple’s room. I went to confirm what was happening. I knocked on their door and the lady opened it. I discovered she was smoking something, which I suspected to be hard drug. I demanded to know why she was smoking such drug inside the hotel room. I told her she was not the only guest in the hotel. I immediately called our chairman on phone and reported the incident. He came and videotaped the lady’s action.”

According to the manager, before the arrival of the chairman of the hotel, Jian Feng had left the hotel room. The hotel management called him via the phone number he dropped, while checking into the room.

They told him Zhen Zhen was sick. He rushed back around 1:30am. Some minutes after that, one of the security guards dashed to the manager, screaming that the Chinese couple had set their room on fire.

Fire fighters were quickly alerted. But before the fire-fighters got to the scene, three executive rooms had been completely burnt. The couple was handed over to the police.

The Lagos State Police Command Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the incident.

Describing the case as arson, Badmos said it happened on Tuesday, around 2am.

She added: “A Chinese woman, who lodged with one Jian Feng, her boyfriend, allegedly set ablaze part of Ernest Hotel, located at No. 28, Bamishile Street, off Allen Ikeja, while using hard substance in her room.  Property valued at about N24m was reportedly destroyed by the fire. The suspect has been arrested and the case is under investigation.”