Tenant in police custody for killing landlord

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a tenant, Daniel Isaac for allegedly killing his landlord, Willy Ebinate in the Ikotun area of the state.

According to reports, Isaac killed the 50-year-old car dealer in a order to steal his Toyota Camry car that was parked inside the compound.

He was also alleged to have dumped Ebinate’s corpse in a septic tank and drove the car away.

Sources close to the deceased said he had gone to the port on Monday, July 22, 2019, to clear the car, but had to take it home since he finished the transaction late.

A colleague of the deceased said efforts to contact him after he took the car home proved abortive, adding that a case of missing person was subsequently reported at the Isheri-Osun Police Station on Thursday.

According to him, a cousin to the deceased informed him early on Friday that Ebinate had been murdered by his tenant, Isaac, who allegedly strangled him while he was washing the car.

He said: “We became worried when he was nowhere to be found on Tuesday and his phone was switched off. So, on Wednesday, we went to his house. When we got there, all his tenants had gone out, but we managed to get the telephone number of a tenant, who confirmed to us that he saw Ebinate washing his car on Tuesday.

“On Thursday, we went to the Isheri-Osun Police Station to report a case of missing person; but around midnight on Friday, I got a call from Ebinate’s cousin that he was dead.

“We informed the police at the Isheri-Osun Police Station and went to his house to confirm what had happened; we met the Divisional Police Officer of the Iba Police Division and her officers at Ebinate’s house. The DPO explained that Isaac was arrested while trying to sell his landlord’s car.

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“She said Isaac confessed during interrogation that he had been planning to steal one of Ebinate’s cars. So, when the victim brought the Toyota Camry home, Isaac waited for all the tenants to leave the house and strangled Ebinate while he was washing the car. We want justice served.”

In a statement of Sunday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Bala Elkana, said that personnel of the command, while on stop and search duty, apprehended Isaac and his accomplice, Emmanuel Chukwu, for driving in a reckless and suspicious manner.

According Elkana, during interrogation, Isaac confessed to killing his landlord in a order to dispossess him of his car, adding that he was fleeing from the crime scene when he was arrested.

“On Wednesday, July 24, 2019, around 5am, policemen from the Iba Police Station on stop and search duty at First Gate, Agboroko area, Iba, flagged down a Toyota Camry, which was being driven in a reckless and suspicious manner.

“Two suspects, namely; Daniel Isaac, 38, and Emmanuel Chukwu, 36, were intercepted and further investigation revealed that the first suspect, Isaac, killed his landlord, Willy Ebinate, aka Don Able, 50, and dumped the corpse in a septic tank inside his compound on Owodun Street, Ikotun.

“The suspect was escaping with the stolen vehicle along with his accomplice, Emmanuel Chukwu, when they were intercepted. Their intention was to go and sell the car.

“They confessed to the crime. Homicide detectives from the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Yaba, are investigating the case. The suspects will be charged”, the state police spokesman said.

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