A 28-year-old bus driver, Abraham Umar, has been killed by suspected cult members in the Ijanikin area of Lagos State after he was set up by his friend who wanted to date his 17-year-old girlfriend.
PUNCH reports that Abraham, aka Abi, was eating at the girlfriend’s mother’s bamboo restaurant when the gunmen invaded the place around 9pm on Tuesday.
They reportedly shot the Benue State indigene in the head, killing him on the spot.
The case was reported at the Ijanikin Police Station and the girlfriend, identified only as Elo, was arrested.
A witness, who did not want to be identified, said the gunmen came in a group after Abraham, who plied the Lagos-Badagry Expressway route, parked his vehicle and went to eat.
He said, “He was with his conductor and the owner of the commercial bus when one of the gunmen tapped him on the back. Another one pushed him and slammed his head against the wall. Then one of them put a gun to his head and shot him dead. Everybody ran away.”
The victim’s sister, Aminat Umar, while fighting back tears, said Abraham’s friend, one Peter, broke the news to the family.
She explained that the victim had called her after parking his vehicle around 9.21pm.
“He said he was on his way home. About 10 minutes later, his best friend, Peter, rushed to our house, saying Abi had been shot at Cele bus stop and that his corpse had been taken to a police station.
“My mother and uncle ran to the Ijanikin Police Station, but were told that nobody was brought there. They went to a private hospital around Cele bus stop and were again told that the body was not brought to the hospital.
“The hospital workers said they should check the station. The police later admitted that he was there. I was told that his conductor and the owner of the commercial bus were in the cell,” she added.
Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Chike Oti, said four suspects had been arrested.
Oti, however, noted that Abraham’s best friend set him up over the 17-year-old girlfriend.
He said, “Abraham’s friend had a crush on the girl. It got to a point of obsession as he started talking to the man’s girlfriend to leave him. However, when he was not getting the desired cooperation from the girl, he set up his friend with some other guys, who killed him.
“The matter was reported at the Ijanikin Police Station and immediately, the state Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, ordered the Divisional Police Officer to fish out the murderers. So far, the DPO has picked up four suspects, while the principal suspect, the one who had a crush on the girl, is still at large. We are on his trail and he cannot escape justice.”
