Hotel workers brutalised security man, victim hospitalised with swollen face, head

-Community Head says attack is inhuman, barbaric

-Owonikoko was attacked with machetes and iron rod for failing to open the gate for an hotelier

-When the hotel staff used the machetes on him and it did not penetrate, the owner of the hotel ordered them to use iron rod to kill him
Akin Olayemi

A night security guard identified as Owonikoko Adeyemi at the early hours of Sunday, June 9, 2019 was severely brutalised and left with a swollen face and a fractured head.

According to eyewitness accounts, Owonikoko was attacked with machetes, knives, bottles and iron rods by men identified as

staffs of X-Garden Hotel located in Ijero road, Ebute Metta (west) for locking the main gate to the street where the building he was employed to secure lies.

Investigations by newsexplorersng.com revealed that Owonikoko who was an employee of a Law firm was thoroughly beaten with an iron rod when his attackers discovered that the machete they used on him did not penetrate.

Narrating his ordeal on his sick bed, Owonikoko whose face was swollen with multiple cuts and his head heavily bandaged said

the attack on him was sponsored by the owner of the hotel who ordered his staffs to beat him to death with iron rods for locking the community gate.

He explained, “I wasn’t part of the argument but I was surprised when Mr Yemi attacked me alleging that he had warned me against locking the gate.

In order to avoid his troubles, those that witnessed the scene persuaded him and he went back into his hotel. But few minutes later, he resurfaced with some of his workers with bottles, knives, sticks, machetes and iron rods.

They walked straight to me and started hitting me on my body with the machetes and a bottle smashed on my head. When they discovered that the machetes and bottles did not penetrate into my body,

Mr Yemi told them to kill me with the iron rod and they jointly hit me with the iron rods on my head and face until I fell lifeless. They thought I had died and they left.

Those that were at hand rushed me to accident and emergency section of the Federal Medical Centre where I am currently receiving treatment.”

Deadly silence and fear enveloped the air as residents scampered to safety for fear of being arrested by the thugs and police who had visited the victim to investigate the matter.

An eyewitness, Idowu Olatayo who resides in Ijero road explained that hotel owner, Mr Yemi had earlier contacted Kogbagidi boys to attack Owonikoko but on seeing that the victim was a familiar

face, leader of the group mediated and pleaded with Mr Yemi on behalf of the victim to let go.

Obviously not pacified, Idowu explained, Mr Yemi went into his hotel and return with the some of his workers that beat Owonikoko to a near dead state.

In his reaction, head of the community, High Chief Kehinde Kalejaiye has condemned the attacked, describing it as barbaric and inhuman.

While calling on the police to investigate the matter and bring the culprits to justice, High Chief Kalejaiye said “When some residents brought the incident to my hearing,

I was disturbed. I cried when I saw the young man wriggled in pain. How could such unjust and dangerous act happen in my community?

Unfortunately, I was confronted with the gory sight of an innocent and helpless young security guard that was brutally attacked by some miscreants allegedly sponsored by one Mr. Yemi, the owner of X-Garden Hotel.

The attackers were mean and callous and such act needs to be checked. I am appealing to the government and the police to

stem the tides of violence and unjust harassment that is starting to rear its ugly head with this one by the hotelier.

The perpetrators live with us and they must be brought to justice.”

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