Man beats mother to death over ₦11 million property

Afeez Hanafi

A 51-year-old man has allegedly beaten his mother to death after a disagreement over her late  sister’s property.

The 81-year-old mother, Mrs. Dorcas Ayoola, lived in one-storeyed building on United Estate, Ajah, Lagos State.

The suspect, Oluwaseye Ayoola, who lives in the Lekki area, had reportedly went to demand N500,000 from his mother at about 6pm on Tuesday. The money was said to be part of an N11m property bequeathed to the family by his late sister.

PUNCH Metro learnt that Dorcas told Oluwaseye that she did not have the money on her and asked for time to raise the sum. But Oluwaseye reportedly felt his mother was insincere and in a fit of anger, the second child of the family reportedly grabbed the octogenarian and punched her.

Not done, he allegedly slammed a hammer and a television set on the woman and fled the house, leaving her in a pool of blood.

Our correspondent learnt that neighbours were drawn to the groans of the woman and rushed to the scene to find out that she had died.

It was learnt that the alleged murder was reported at the Ogombo Police Station, and the suspect was eventually arrested.

The living room of the victim was filled with sympathisers on Wednesday when our correspondent visited the residence.

“We are bereaved. You cannot expect us to say anything now. We understand you are doing your job. You can come back another time when everything is calm,” one of the sympathisers told PUNCH Metro.

However, a resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the suspect was always aggressive whenever he wanted to collect money from Dorcas.

He said, “The television he smashed on the woman was big. This was a mother he had depended on all his life. Even if he wanted the whole property, he should have exercised patience.

“His brother is abroad and he always sent money to him. All his siblings give him money as well. He is just lazy and wicked.”

A shop owner on the estate, who gave her name only as Beatrice, said, “He was living with the mother until lately when he decided to live on his own. The mother raised the money for his rent.”

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Dolapo Badmos, said the case was reported to the police by the suspect’s brother, Akintunde Ayoola, adding that the corpse of the woman had been deposited in a morgue for autopsy.

Badmos, a Superintendent of Police, said, “After the brother reported to the police, the command’s detectives from the Ogombo division launched a manhunt for the suspect and he was arrested.

“During interrogation, the suspect said he had gone to his mother to ask for some money but she refused to part with the sum, which angered him and made him to pounce on the old woman.

“He was said to have asked the mother to give him N500,000 out of N11m his late sister left behind in her will. He is in custody under investigation.”

– Punch