Gunmen murder Lagos hotel owner over woman

Some suspected hired assassins have killed
Michael Ogunnusi, the owner of the Allonze
Hotel on Ishawo Road, Agric, Ikorodu, Lagos
State.

Smart360news learnt that the suspects, who
entered the hotel on a motorcycle, pretended
that they were lodgers.

The security guard who opened the gate was
said to have been tied up by the armed men.

They were said to have made straight for the
victim’s room in the hotel and shot him dead.

Our correspondent reliably gathered that the
deceased was killed for allegedly dating the wife
of the gunmen’s leader.

It was learnt that the suspects took Ogunnusi’s
phone before fleeing the hotel.

A source said the men were four in number and
brought a car which was parked outside.

He said, “While one was in the car, three went in
on a motorcycle, pretending to be customers;
they got separate rooms to stay. However, no
sooner than they got their keys that they went
to the man’s room. One knocked at his door as if
he was one of the hotel workers. As he opened
the door, they opened gunfire on him.”

However, a police source, who said the incident
happened around 11pm on Wednesday,
explained that the suspects first tied up the
gateman.

He said, “There were four of them and they
spoke Ijaw language. They entered into the
hotel on a motorcycle. They deceived the
gateman by telling him they wanted to book a
room. But immediately he opened the gate,
they beat and tied him up.

“It is possible they were operating based on
information from an insider because
immediately they entered, they went into the
man’s room in the hotel. He begged them not
to kill him. He said he was ready to offer them
anything, but they shot him dead. They left with
his phone.”

A source said the victim was killed for dating a
woman that was not his wife.

The source said, “He was dating a woman that
was the wife of the suspects’ leader. On the
night that he was killed, he was with the woman.
”
The source said the woman had already been
arrested by the police.

It was learnt that policemen from the Owutu
Police Division removed the corpse and took it
to a mortuary.

The victim’s wife, Mrs. Bolanle Ogunnusi, did not
deny the allegation that the victim was caught
with a woman.

She said, “I am his wife and we have five
children together. The hotel is closed. I don’t
know (if he was killed over a woman). The police
have not released his corpse.”

The Deputy Police Public Relations Officer,
Damasus Ozoani, confirmed the incident, adding
that four suspects had been arrested.

“The case has been transferred to the State
Department of Criminal Investgation, Panti,” he
added.