Posted by By Emmanuel Nnadozie & Prince Osuagwu on
IT was a tragic end for the President of a telecommunications company, Mobitel, after jumping to his death from the Lagos high rise corporate headquarters of the company, yesterday.
LAGOS - IT was a tragic end for the President of a telecommunications company, Mobitel, after jumping to his death from the Lagos high rise corporate headquarters of the company, yesterday.
The middle-aged Mr. Charles Joseph, an engineer, landed on the second latch of the garage of ICON House on Idejo Street, Victoria Island, from his office on the first floor of the building.
His death coincided with the arrival on the premises, of a team of policemen, corporate guards and the receiver manager appointed by the company's creditors to take over its management.
Mobitel is said to be owing the bank which appointed a receiver following the company's inability to meet its obligations.
Joseph who, until his death, was also President of the Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) was said to be full of life when he resumed for duty yesterday. But the mood at the company suddenly changed at about 10.30a.m. when the receiver manager arrived with his team to take over the company.
The receiver manager and the mobile policemen, a source at the company said, locked all the entrances to the company and restricted movement to the company's conference room where the company's staff were informed of the take over of the management of the company.
The source further said it was only when they were released 20 minutes later, that somebody raised an alarm on seeing blood dripping from the garage latch. The blood was traced to the lifeless body of Engr. Joseph.
An eyewitness account said he heard gun shots and perceived teargas when the receiver manager arrived with his team, adding that the receiver manager and his team hurriedly left immediately the body of Engr. Joseph was found in a pool of its own blood.
Vanguard gathered that as soon as the police learnt of the death, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ade Ajakaiye, led a team of detectives to the office with a view to investigating the situation.
The state police boss told Vanguard that he could not say whether it was suicide or murder but said investigations which had already kicked off would confirm what killed the company boss.