Posted by By CHIOMA OKEZIE-OKEH on
It could have passed for a Brothers' Act with emotion running down the spines of on lookers. But Lukman said he stabbed his stepbrother, Kazeem to death ostensibly over his perceived interference in the affairs of his younger sister Tope.
It could have passed for a Brothers' Act with emotion running down the spines of on lookers. But Lukman said he stabbed his stepbrother, Kazeem to death ostensibly over his perceived interference in the affairs of his younger sister Tope.
Tope and her boyfriend, Sule were involved in a scuffle over his attempt to have forceful intercourse with her at their residence at Itudofin in Ita Elewa area at Ikorodu in Lagos State when the incident occurred. Upon hearing about the matter, Lukeman became infuriated, especially upon the intervention of Kazeem, a staff of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA).
Scurrying into the room where the lovebirds and Kazeem were, Lukeman, who is now in police net saw the occasion as an opportunity to draw some blood over a land dispute he had with Kazeem his stepbrother. In the heat of the argument, Lukeman smashed a beer bottle with which he stabbed his brother repeatedly right in the neck, and resisted any attempt to rescue him, as he watched him die.
Bedroom scuffle
Lukeman was not remorseful about his action when our reporter queried him. He narrated the incident was a climax of a deep-seated animosity between them. 'The problem started when I was sharing a room with my brother. An issue developed which brought about enmity between us."
But a day before the bloody incident, Lukman's sister, Tope came to the house with his boyfriend Sule, who happened to be his friend. 'My sister and Sule had been dating for a some time now. I left the room for them as courtesy demands. Suddenly I heard my sister scream for help. Immediately, I returned to the room only for her to complain that Sule, her boyfriend wanted to rape her."
According to him, Sule admitted he attempted to rape her, but promised to turn a new leaf. 'I had almost settled the matter between the two when Kazeem stepped in. There was an exchange of hot words." Lukman claimed Kazeem challenged him to a fight. But that did not lead to the bloodshed.
The animosity reared its head the following day. 'Another argument ensued when some elders arrived to settle the matter. It was in heat of it all that I stabbed him to save my life. He wanted to kill me. You won't believe it. This was a man I helped to secure a job at LASTMA, but he suddenly turned against me. Killing him was the only way I could save my life."
A wife's anger
Kazeem's wife has refused to be consoled since the death of her husband. She insisted that her brother in-law had just fulfilled his threat to eliminate her husband to enable him acquire his property.
Narrating the incident to Saturday Sun, she corroborated the Friday evening incident when they heard their sister, Tope screaming ' Kazeem, help. My neck oh!"- a call her husband accepted, which Lukman considered was a family affair which did not require his interference in their family affair.
The nest day when some elders were called in to warn Lukman, he stabbed my husband to death. 'He wanted him to die, so he made sure no one gave him any assistance until he bled to death. He even threatened to kill me if I came close."
Witness account
An eyewitness, who described Mr. Kazeem as a responsible man, added that both brothers had been quarrelling over Kazeem's room, which Lukeman wanted to acquire. At one stage, he said, Kazeem had agreed to quit the compound for him when the case became unbearable.
The next day when Kazeem was about to leave for office, Lukeman broke a bottle, rushed into the room and stabbed him at the left side of his neck. Kazeem never retaliated, and he slumped. All efforts to take him to hospital were resisted as Lukeman blocked the entrance into the house. He now ran away to avoid a mob action.
Mr. Kazeem said the suspect who is now in police custody at Ikorodu division deserves to die, because imprisonment means nothing to him.