GUS: How Hector was shot twice in his apartment

…his father also shot, hospitalised

Fresh facts have emerged on how the Gulder Ultimate Search 3 winner of 2006, Hector Jobarteh, was murdered in his home at New Oko Oba, Lagos State, while his father, also shot, is battling to recuperate in hospital.

According to his neighbours, his killers, two men, gunned him down around 8am, in his residence on Sunday morning. They also shot his father’s on the hand. The gunmen were said to have escaped through the building’s gate.

Hector and his father were rushed to Ayodele Medical Centre, where he was confirmed dead. His father, was later moved from the hospital, to Igbobi for further treatment.

The neigbours also explained that Hector left home on Saturday and returned the next day, which was when the killers swooped on him.

Some of the neighbours said that Hector returned on Sunday morning from the Muritala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos State, where he had gone to pick his younger brother, who had just returned from US. He was killed moments after he got home. His home was just stone’s throw from New Oko-Oba Police Station.

It was gathered that the assailants forcibly gained entrance into the deceased’s compound by scaling the fence. In order to place their hands on the fence and scaled through, the gunmen had to smash bulbs placed on the fence.

A few minutes after the landed inside the compound, they sighted one of Hector’s neighbour Moji.

Moji, who was preparing to head to church with her brother, discovered that the tap water inside the flat was not running and had stepped out to find out why.

Immediately she stepped out of her apartment, the gunmen surrounded her. They demanded to know the flat of Hector, who parked his car outside the gate. They told Moji that Hector’s car was blocking theirs. They wanted her to call Hector.

When Moji insisted that she didn’t know the owner of the car, they whipped out their guns and threatened to shoot her. She was forced to tell them that Hector lived upstairs.

Hector’s younger brother, explained that immediately the men knocked, Hector, who was expecting the arrival of sister, rushed to open the door. The gunmen shot him twice on his chest at close range. When his father heard the gunshots, he rushed out. The gunmen also opened fire on him.

One the neighbours, Mr. Oche Alechuna, said: “I went to church with my family at Canaan Land (Winners Chapel) at about 4.30am. It was when we came back that we heard what happened. We saw many people in our compound.   Hector has been living in the compound since September last year. He didn’t stay out late. In fact, it was not until after what happened that I got to know that he was a former winner of the Guilder Ultimate Search. He was not always around. He came back a week ago. His wife and daughter are not around.”

Alechuna further said: “Police have been here. I have been in the estate for over 10 years now. We have not witnessed any killing in the community. There is more to killing of Hector. I heard he was shot on his chest, while his father was shot on his arm.”

Another resident, who simply identified himself as Abiodun said: “My wife and I were sleeping when we heard gunshots. I told my wife to lie on the floor so as not be hit by stray bullets. A few seconds later, I heard the gunmen asking Hector, where is the money? Before we knew what was happening, they shot him on the chest. Hector just returned from the airport, where he went to pick his younger brother. The brother just came back from United State of America.”

Another neighbour, Mr. Abayomi said: “I woke up late, so couldn’t go to church. I was going to urinate when I saw the two men walking to Hector’s apartment upstairs. Before I knew what was happening, they had shot him. His younger brother and I, rushed them to hospital. We tried to revive Hector in the car; nobody came to attend to us for 15 minutes, then Hector passed away. That day was the worst day of my life. I have never seen where someone died like that. Since then, I have not been myself.”

Another co-tenant, Bolaji, said: “When we heard the gunshots, we were scared. The killers knew Hector’s compound, but they didn’t know his flat. They just needed somebody to guide them.”

Nollywood star actor and former anchor person for Guilder Ultimate Search, Bob Manuel Udokwu, said: “It’s a big blow to the Guilder Ultimate Search family, even though the show is rested. You know, for the 10 years that the Guilder Ultimate Search was aired, I was the longest anchor person. I anchored it for more than five years. So, for anybody that was in Guilder Ultimate Search from season one to when I became part of it in Season 4, I see them as a family. And you know, I’m emotionally attached to them and that Guilder brand. So being tragically cut down like that in his prime is very painful. He was a jovial person, highly focused, but also has a very soft side to him. He was somebody that easily got along with everybody; he was somebody who would deliberately not hurt the next person. He was down-to-earth. It is just so shocking that this happened to him.”