*He Prepared For Church, Suspect Flees After Giving Conflicting Accounts
A 65-year-old man, Chief Augustine Nwalieze, a manager with Okeyson Transport, has been allegedly murdered by his gateman at his residence in Ajah, Lagos State, on Sunday morning, with the family discovering his body bearing machete wounds in a downstairs flat after the suspect gave conflicting accounts of his employer’s whereabouts and then fled the compound.
The incident has left the family devastated and prompted a police investigation, with officers visiting the scene and launching a manhunt for the gateman who remains at large as of the time of this report, according to Vanguard.
According to a family member who spoke to Vanguard on condition of anonymity, Chief Nwalieze had prepared for church service on Sunday morning and walked downstairs to the car park area of his residence, close to a store where spare parts from his vehicles and a solar panel were kept.
“My father-in-law’s gateman killed him yesterday. He had prepared for church service when the incident happened. He walked downstairs to the car park, close to the store where spare parts from his cars are kept and a solar panel that was stored there,” the family source stated.
What transpired in the car park area between the deceased and his gateman remains unclear. However, the family became alarmed when they noticed that none of Chief Nwalieze’s three vehicles had been moved from the compound and all attempts to reach him on his phone went unanswered.
“Nobody could really tell what happened. They didn’t hear the sound of any car driving off or the gate opening. His three cars were still parked, so they became worried about his whereabouts. They called his phone, but he didn’t pick up,” the source stated.
The family’s suspicion fell on the gateman when he provided an account of his employer’s whereabouts that quickly unravelled.
“They went to the gateman, and he mentioned one of his friends, claiming he went out with him. But when the wife called that same friend, he said he hadn’t seen him that day,” the family member disclosed.
The gateman’s claim that Chief Nwalieze had left with a friend was contradicted by two facts: none of the deceased’s three vehicles had moved, suggesting he had not driven out, and the friend named by the gateman denied having seen the deceased that day.
When the family attempted to question the gateman further, they discovered he had vanished from the premises.
“By the time they returned to question him again, he had disappeared. That was when they began to search the compound thoroughly,” the source stated.
The search of the compound led to a devastating discovery.
“They found his lifeless body in one of the flats downstairs. He had machete cuts on his head, hands and body. It was a terrible sight,” the family member disclosed.
The nature of the injuries, described as machete cuts to the head, hands, and body, suggests a violent and sustained attack. The wounds to the hands may indicate that Chief Nwalieze attempted to defend himself against the assault.
The victim was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital but was confirmed dead on arrival, meaning the injuries he sustained were fatal and likely caused death before or shortly after the discovery of his body.
At the time of the incident, Chief Nwalieze lived in the Ajah residence with his wife, a daughter, two domestic staff (maids), and another woman, all of whom were upstairs when the attack reportedly occurred. His other children were said to be working and living independently.
The fact that multiple members of the household were present in the building at the time of the attack but did not hear anything unusual raises questions about the circumstances. The family member noted they did not hear “the sound of any car driving off or the gate opening,” but also did not report hearing any sounds of a struggle or distress from the car park area or the downstairs flat where the body was found.
The gateman, whose full identity has not been publicly disclosed, is currently on the run. His flight from the compound after providing false information about his employer’s whereabouts has strengthened the suspicion against him.
The motive for the alleged murder remains unclear. Whether the attack was prompted by a personal dispute, a robbery gone wrong, or some other circumstance is yet to be determined by the police investigation.
The presence of valuable items in the car park area, including vehicle spare parts and a solar panel, raises the possibility that theft may have been a factor, though the family member’s account did not mention whether any items were missing from the premises.
The family has reported the matter to the police, who have commenced an investigation.
“The case has been reported to the police station, and officers have already visited the scene. Efforts are ongoing to locate the gateman who is currently on the run,” the family source confirmed.
As of the time of this report, the Lagos State Police Command had not issued an official statement on the incident.
The family member who spoke to Vanguard described the emotional toll of the discovery.
“I have been very heartbroken since yesterday. Something very bad happened to my father-in-law yesterday,” the source stated.
The family is reportedly making arrangements to transport the deceased’s remains to his hometown for burial rites.
The alleged murder of Chief Nwalieze by his gateman reflects a disturbing pattern of domestic security staff turning against their employers that has become increasingly common in Nigerian cities.
Gatemen, domestic workers, and security guards who have intimate knowledge of their employers’ routines, property, and vulnerabilities occupy positions of trust that, when violated, leave households particularly exposed.
The incident underscores the challenges of domestic security in Lagos and other Nigerian cities, where households rely on individual gatemen and guards whose backgrounds, character, and intentions are often inadequately verified before they are entrusted with access to homes and families.
For the family of Chief Augustine Nwalieze, a man who rose early on a Sunday morning, prepared for church, and walked down to his car park expecting an ordinary day, the trust placed in the person employed to guard the family home became the instrument of tragedy.
The police investigation continues, and the manhunt for the fleeing gateman is ongoing.
