(R), The principal suspect Vincent Ehizojie
From our crime desk, Benin
The tragic case of Mrs. Abimbola Olusola, the owner of Etashol Hotel and Suites in Lagos. This case is often cited as a cautionary “Japada” story of a Nigerian returning home from abroad.
Abimbola Olusola was a mother of four who had lived in London for over 30 years. In 2018, she returned to Nigeria to fulfill her dream of opening a luxury hotel in the Ojodu-Berger area of Lagos.
Less than a year, in January 2019 after opening, she was found dead in her hotel suite. Her manager, Tunji Omikunle, was also murdered during the same attack.
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The investigation revealed that the hotel employees led by the laundry man and a technician conspired to rob her.
To neutralize the security and other staff members, they laced a meal of instant noodles with a powerful sedative.
Once the staff members were unconscious, the criminals moved to the owner’s suite.
The employees believed that as a “London returnee,” she kept large amounts of foreign currency (Pounds and Dollars) in her room.
When they broke into her room, they reportedly found her awake. To prevent her from identifying them, they tied her hands and legs, and strangled her.
The crime was solved largely through CCTV footage and the confession of one of the suspects, Vincent Ehizojie, who was arrested by the Lagos State Police.
He detailed how they had planned the robbery for months because they felt she was “wealthy and strict.”
The lead suspect, Vincent Ehizojie (the laundry man) and Friday David, were arrested shortly after the crime in 2019.
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Following their arrest and detailed confessions where they admitted to drugging the staff with instant noodles and strangling the owner, the case moved through the Lagos State High Court.
Vincent Ehizojie and his accomplices were remanded in prison custody and subsequently faced charges of conspiracy and murder.
In cases of such brutal, premeditated murder in Lagos State, the standard sentence upon conviction for capital murder, is death by hanging.
While the Nigerian judicial system is known for long trial durations, the overwhelming evidence (CCTV footage showing them entering the room and their recorded confessions) led to a conviction for the key perpetrators.
The court proceedings highlighted a chilling lack of remorse. The suspects told the police they decided to kill her simply because she “recognized them” during the robbery and because they felt she was “too strict” as a boss.
Source: Segun Oladimeji Fagbemi’s page on Facebook
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