Punch Metro learnt that as the victim struggled to put out
the flames, the 67-year-old landlord pushed him down from the top floor of the
three-storey building.
The father of one was said to have landed with a thud, as
the flames ate through his body.
Our correspondent was told that Abeeb had barely spent five
months in the house located on Iga Idunganran Street, Idumota, when he was
killed.
Punch Metro gathered that the incident was caused by a
disagreement over the use of the compound toilet.
A tenant in the house, who spoke on condition of anonymity,
explained that the quarrel had been settled in the evening and she had pleaded
with both parties to maintain the peace.
She said, “Before the incident of yesterday (Monday), there
has been a quarrel in the house over the use of the toilet.
“Everybody had complained that the landlord always messed up
the toilet after use.
“But yesterday, he had another quarrel with the Abeeb over
the use of the toilet. During the argument, he threatened to set the man ablaze;
the man also dared him.
“I called Abeeb and calmed him down; I also called the
landlord and appealed to him to let the matter go, and he said he had forgiven
Abeeb.”
Punch Metro learnt that the landlord, however, was sighted
by residents later that evening carrying a jerrycan, saying he was going to buy
fuel.
The Ondo State indigene was alleged to have bought the fuel
and waited patiently in his room till the victim returned from a football
viewing centre where he had gone to watch an European league match between
Arsenal and Liverpool football clubs.
It was learnt that around 12am, the landlord wet the
passageway of the house and knocked on the door of the deceased.
Another tenant, who asked not to be named, said the victim’s
wife pleaded with him not to go out.
The continuous rap on the door was said to have forced Abeeb
out to confront the intruder, only to see the landlord with a container of
fuel.
He said, “As he stepped out of the house, the landlord
poured the petrol on him. Before Abeeb could snatch the jerrycan from him, the
landlord had ignited fire with a lighter in his hand.
“Abeeb struggled to put out the fire, but the landlord
pushed him down from the third floor. He fell to the ground and died.”
Our correspondent gathered that the quick intervention of
security guards in the area stopped the fire from escalating.
The other tenants in the house were said to have abandoned
the building and fled for fear of being killed.
Punch Metro learnt that policemen from the Adeniji Adele
Police Division later arrived at the scene to remove Abeeb’s corpse. The police
also took the landlord, who sustained burns injuries to the hospital.
A resident, John Ameh, said the landlord was initially
rejected at the Lagos Island General Hospital and was taken to the Gbagada
General Hospital.
The former occupant of Abeeb’s room, Ruka Rufai, regretted
passing the room to the deceased, saying she left the room due to constant
threat to her life from the landlord.
She said, “I left that the room about five months ago. The
landlord threatened me, so I decided to vacate the room. Abeeb pleaded with me
that he needed the accommodation. Now, he has been killed.”
One of Abeeb’s friends, who did not want to be identified,
expressed doubt that the suspect would face justice.
The friend, who claimed to be in the same football academy
with the victim, said he was shocked when he learnt about the incident on the
Facebook wall of a mutual friend.
Punch Metro was told that grief-stricken friends of the
victim had planned to set the house ablaze, but could not due to the heavy
presence of security agents.
A resident, Habib Suleiman, urged the state government to pursue the case against the suspect to a logical end and seize the property.
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