Housekeeper who killed employer in Lagos, arrested in Taraba

The police in Lagos State have arrested a 22-year-old housekeeper, Tanko Abdulateef, who allegedly stabbed his employer, Mrs. Mabel Okafor, to death in the Ajah area of the state.

PUNCH Metro learnt that Okafor was stabbed in the stomach in her apartment on Close 9, Victoria Garden City, Ajah, on August 17, while her valuables, including three mobile phones, a trinket and some clothes, were stolen.

Our correspondent learnt that Abdulateef had fled the apartment on the day of the incident, which aroused the police’s suspicion that he was behind the murder.

A police source told PUNCH Metro that the housekeeper was arrested from a hideout in the Bali area of Taraba State, on August 27.

He said, “The suspect allegedly ripped the victim’s stomach open. He also took away valuable items from the house, including three mobile phones, a trinket and a lot of clothes. All the items were recovered from him after his arrest.

“On the day of the incident, policemen went to the house and discovered that the place had been ransacked and a lot of property had disappeared. The housekeeper was also nowhere to be found.

“The deceased was moved to the mortuary and the policemen from the Ajah division investigated the matter. It was later transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Yaba.

“The suspect was arrested in Taraba State two weeks after he fled.”

Our correspondent learnt that the state Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, had detailed a decoy team of the Rapid Response Squad in charge of tracking to get on the case.

The operatives thereafter tracked the suspect to the Bali area in Taraba State.

The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, who confirmed the arrest, said the suspect would be charged to court after the conclusion of investigation.

She said, “After about three days in Bali, operatives were able to recover some of the phones stolen from the victim before eventually arresting the suspect where he was hiding. There is no escape route for criminals in Lagos State. Any crime committed in Lagos will be unravelled.”

Badmos added that the suspect had been handed over to the SCIID for further investigation, before being charged to court.