Family suspects foul
play in the death of 22-year-old, seeks thorough investigation of incident
HE was 22 years old and a domestic
worker in Ogudu GRA, Lagos. Onyeka Kingsley Raphael was found dead in the
swimming of his boss, one Mr. Tunde Williams, on Babatunde Asimi Street, Ogudu
GRA.
His death is already raising dust as
family members strongly suspect foul play and want police to unravel the
mystery behind the death.
The deceased, an indigene of Umunede in
Ika Local Council of Delta State, was said to have been found dead last
Saturday and his body lying on the floor of the swimming pool with his
stomach showing no sign of protrusion, suggesting that he did drown.
An eye witness who saw the body when it
was removed from the swimming pool by police men from Ogudu Police Station
revealed that there were no injuries either on the head or other parts of the
body except a twisted neck, suggesting that he might have been strangled by yet
to be identified assailants whose aim remains mysterious until police
investigations are concluded.
More so, the police and those who raced
to the scene saw the food Onyeka had prepared for himself and placed on the
table with his cap.
According to family sources, the young
man had gone to live with the Tunde Williams family in March in their Ogudu GRA
residence following an arrangement for him to be employed as a domestic worker.
Williams, a retired chartered accountant,
is married to two ladies, one of whom reportedly runs a company that produces
toiletries.
It was gathered that the relationship
between the Williams’ family and Onyeka’s elder sister and brother dates back
to a few years ago as all of them were worshipping at St. Andrew’s Anglican
Church, Ogudu.
Onyeka’s elder sister, Mrs. Angela
Moses, who lost her husband a few years ago, was said to be close to Tunde
Williams’ first wife, who happens to be of Igbo extraction while the second
wife is Yoruba.
The Igbo wife, according to
investigations, lives in the same Ogudu residence with her husband while the
Yoruba wife resides in one of their buildings elsewhere.
The deceased, who completed his
secondary school education in Warri, Delta State had come to live with his
sister, one Mrs. Moses, after the death of her husband and as he searched
endlessly for job, an opportunity came for him to work with the Williams
pending when he would secure admission to higher institution as he was said to
be brilliant.
Though, there is no autopsy report yet,
but Onyeka’s family members strongly suspect that his death must have been
master-minded by some unseen hands given the manner his boss, Williams,
allegedly conducted himself when members of the deceased family rushed to the
scene as soon as information got to them about the ugly incident.
It was gathered that when Mrs. Moses
and her other relations got to Williams’ residence where the incident occurred,
some policemen were already there and asked some questions from the security
man who was reportedly at home when the incident occurred.
According to investigation, two men
were said to have come in a vehicle to see Williams that same day but were told
he was not at home and the men reportedly insisted on going into his office as
they were there to do some assignment.
The two men allegedly went in and left
after some minutes before the security man discovered that Onyeka was dead in
the swimming pool.
While the first wife was said to have
travelled outside the country, the second who lives elsewhere, came visiting
soon after the incident.
According to sources, efforts of the
police to question the security man more about what he knew were frustrated by Williams
who was not happy that police men were asking many questions.
Sources at the scene revealed that
Williams’ attitude did not give any feeling about the young man’s death as he
allegedly brooded over some amount of money, about N50,000 he was said to have
given to the deceased to pay for an unknown examination.
Onyeka’s family sources however denied
knowledge of any N50,000 given to him and for what examination.
They recalled that last month, there
was a misunderstanding between Onyeka and his boss, which almost necessitated
the termination of his appointment.
He was said to have opted to leave the
job for certain undisclosed reasons, but his elder sister had prevailed on him
to endure the situation, as there was nothing for him to do at present.
The Guardian learnt that Williams was
virtually angry with the DPO when he insisted that autopsy should be carried
out on the deceased. Because the DPO insisted on following the due process and
ensuring justice in the matter, Williams was said to be unhappy with him and
refused to provide the money for the autopsy.
Lagos State Police spokesman, Ngozi
Braide, a Deputy Superintendent of police (DSP) who confirmed the incident said
it was ‘a case of suspected murder’.
According to Braide, “A case of
suspected murder was reported that one Onyeka, a steward to one Mr. Tunde
Williams died in a swimming pool in a mysterious circumstance. The owner of the
house, where his body was found is not cooperating with the police. The case
will be transferred to State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba,
Lagos.”