Fleeing suspect kills driver with stone

The police in Lagos State have arrested a 20-year-old man, Solomon James, for allegedly killing the driver of a sachet water factory, Femi Daramola, in the FESTAC Town area of the state.

Our correspondent gathered that James and his friend, Tosin, had assisted the 39-year-old in loading his van with bags of sachet water around the Apple Junction.

He was reported to have paid them N250, promising to give them N500, if they could work for him the following day.

However, after going to the factory the following day, Tosin was alleged to have broken into the safe of the company and carted away N50,000, thereafter fleeing the place.

James was said to have been apprehended and detained on the premises of the factory, pending when his friend would be arrested.

It was gathered that around 2am, the suspect broke loose and attacked the driver, who was sleeping on the premises of the company.

The driver was said to have bled to death.

Policemen from the FESTAC division were said to have arrested the suspect, before transferring the matter to the State Department of Criminal Investigation, Yaba.

James, who hails from Bayelsa State, denied knowing about the missing money, adding that he did not know Daramola was dead until his arrest.

He said, “On March 3, the driver called us to assist him in loading his van with bags of sachet water. After we did it, he gave us N250, promising to give us N500 the following day.

“When we got there, I did not know anything had happened until I was apprehended and told that N50,000 was missing from the company. I told them I did not take any money. They said I should lead them to my friend.

“We went to a game house and his house but we did not find him. The driver and operator then took me back to the company and tied my legs and hands. They said they would keep me hostage until my friend was arrested.

“In the night, I broke loose. The man tried to arrest me again and we started struggling. I punched him and took one of the interlocking stones and hit him in the head and ran away.”

 The late Daramola, an indigene of Ogun State, was said to be married with children. His remains were said to have been deposited at the Lagos Mainland mortuary.

A police source said the police from the FESTAC division tracked the suspect through one of his friends.

 He said, “Immediately the case was reported to us, we went into action and got one of the suspect’s friends, who led us to him.”

The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, when contacted, promised to call back, but she had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report.