Man Kills Landlord For Complaining About Property

A 46-year-old landlord of a house on Hassan Close, Itoki, Ogun State, Omotayo Sanda, has been beaten to death by his neighbour’s son, Joseph Isiwele.

Twenty-six-year-old Joseph reportedly rained blows on Omotayo and fled the area after the landlord fell and died.

Punch Metro learnt that Joseph’s elder brother, Michael Isiwele, had packed some sand from a pit in the backyard of Omotayo’s house on Saturday, without seeking his consent.

Michael was said to have used the sand to fill the frontage of his father’s house, which had been affected by erosion.

It was gathered that when Omotayo, a painter, returned from work that day around 8pm, he noticed what had happened and became enraged.

A Punch correspondent was told that he approached the siblings’ father, Edward Isiwele, asking why the sand was packed without his consent.

As Edward tried to placate the painter, Joseph reportedly confronted him for complaining about the sand. He reportedly descended on the father of three children and beat him to a pulp.

Omotayo’s first child, 18-year-old Taiwo Sanda, told Punch Metro that her father slumped and was rushed to a private hospital, which rejected him.

Taiwo said, “I returned from where I was learning catering around 7pm that day and saw Michael packing sand from our house. When I asked him who gave him permission, he laughed and left.

“When my father arrived home at about 8pm, he asked me who packed the sand and I told him it was Michael. He went to Michael’s father’s apartment. As they were discussing, Joseph came out and started abusing my father for complaining about the sand.

“He pointed a finger at my daddy’s face and my father warned him that he was not his mate. Joseph started punching him, while his father and elder brother watched. Some neighbours later came to separate them and my daddy slumped.

“I rushed to get him water but he could not take it. We took him to Dabfek Hospital, near our house, but the doctor referred us to another hospital. Joseph carried him on his back home and we started looking for a vehicle to take him to a general hospital. Joseph fled when he discovered that my father was no longer breathing.”

The teenager said her distressed mother had been relocated to a relative’s house, urging the police authorities to ensure justice in the matter.

Omotayo’s cousin, Joseph Akinsola, said he was informed about the incident at about 9.30pm.

He said, “I met him on the floor. I rushed to get a friend’s car in the area to take him to another hospital, but my friend was not around. I went to Baale (the community head), he said his car was faulty.”

A Punch correspondent gathered that operatives from the Agbado Police Division, led by CSP Shittu Abioye, visited the scene and prevented Edward and Michael from escaping.

Twenty-nine-year-old Michael said, “They (Sandas) were not at home when I wanted to pack the sand. I wanted to use it to fill some potholes in front of our house. Taiwo and her sister, Damilola, saw me and challenged me. I begged them.

“When their father came, he knocked at our door. My father came out to beg him, but he refused. He and my brother started fighting. People separated them twice. He slumped in his apartment, not where they were fighting.”

Edward, 63, a retired civil servant, blamed Michael for the incident, saying he had warned him not to pack the sand except he got an approval.

The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Abimbola Oyeyemi, said a manhunt had been launched for the fleeing prime suspect, adding that the Edward and Michael were under interrogation.

He said, “The Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu, has directed that the case be transferred to the homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department.”