By Esther Onyegbula

Tragedy struck in the Ajah area of Lagos State as a 65-year-old man, Chief Augustine Nwalieze, was allegedly murdered by his gateman under yet-to-be ascertained circumstances.

The deceased, said to be a manager with Okeyson Transport, was reportedly attacked in his Ajah residence on Sunday morning shortly after preparing for church service.

A family member, who spoke to Vanguard on condition of anonymity, said the incident has left the family devastated.

“I have been very heartbroken since yesterday. Something very bad happened to my father-in-law yesterday,” the source said.

Recounting the incident, he explained that the deceased had come downstairs to the car park area of his residence, where spare parts from his vehicles and a solar panel were kept.

“My father-in-law’s gateman killed him yesterday. He had prepared for church service when the incident happened. He walked downstairs to the car park, close to the store where spare parts from his cars are kept and a solar panel that was stored there,” he said.

According to him, the family became worried after noticing that none of the deceased’s vehicles had been moved and all attempts to reach him on the phone proved abortive.

“Nobody could really tell what happened. They didn’t hear the sound of any car driving off or the gate opening. His three cars were still parked, so they became worried about his whereabouts. They called his phone, but he didn’t pick up,” he added.

Suspicion reportedly fell on the gateman when he gave conflicting accounts of the victim’s whereabouts.

“They went to the gateman, and he mentioned one of his friends, claiming he went out with him. But when the wife called that same friend, he said he hadn’t seen him that day,” the source said.

The gateman was said to have fled shortly after giving the information, raising further suspicion.

“By the time they returned to question him again, he had disappeared. That was when they began to search the compound thoroughly,” he said.

The search led to a grim discovery.

“They found his lifeless body in one of the flats downstairs. He had machete cuts on his head, hands and body. It was a terrible sight,” the source disclosed.

The victim was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital but was confirmed dead on arrival.

Vanguard gathered that the deceased lived with his wife, daughter, two maids and another woman, who were upstairs at the time of the incident. Other children of the deceased were said to be working and living independently.

Vanguard learned that family is currently taking the corpse to his hometown.

Confirming the development, the source said the matter has been reported to the police, who have commenced an investigation.

“The case has been reported to the police station, and officers have already visited the scene. Efforts are ongoing to locate the gateman who is currently on the run,” he said.

As of the time of filing this report, the Lagos State Police Command had yet to issue an official statement on the incident.

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