Naval personnel, wife arrested for beating man to death

A Naval personnel serving in Lagos State, Uzochukwu Anyanwu, as well as his wife, Victoria, have been arrested for allegedly beating a man, Gambo Mohammed, to death at Berger Suya bus-stop area of Oshodi-Apapa expressway.

The naval personnel was said to have killed the deceased for trying to settle a rift between his wife and a yet to be identified commercial motorcyclist.Although Uzochukwu Anyawu has since been handed over to the Nigerian Navy, his wife, Victoria, is still being detained at the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID), Panti in Lagos.

A police source said since Anyanwu was handed over to the navy, the naval authorities have refused to hand him back to the police to conclude their own investigation. The source alleged that the police have vowed to arraign the wife if the navy continues to hold on to the suspect.

It was gathered that the wife of the naval personnel had taken a commercial motorcycle from Wilmer bus-stop, Olodi to Berger Suya on an agreed fee, but that on arrival at the destination, Victoria refused to pay.

Consequently, a violent argument ensued between both parties and the woman bluntly refused to pay the exact fee agreed with the Okada rider.When she got there, she decided not to pay the agreed amount and they started fighting. The naval officer’s wife started dragging the Okada rider by the collar of his shirt. It was at this point the deceased decided to mediate.

An eyewitness, Bayo Kilani, alleged that Victoria pounced on the deceased, demanding to know who authorize him to interfere in the matter.“She grabbed hold of the deceased and then put a telephone call through to her husband. Minutes later, a man arrived at the seen on another bike. We later discovered that the man is the woman’s husband. He started beating the deceased. His wife also joined in beating the commercial motorcyclist. It is a clear case of murder and the law must take its cause.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Olarinde Famous-Cole, could not be reached, but a police source at the command headquarters said the police was still waiting for the naval authorities to handover Uzochukwu to them for trial.