Operatives of the Lagos State Police Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, is set to unravel the mystery behind the death of Wale Ademola, 38, who was found dead in a hotel in the Shomolu area of the state on December 6, 2015.
The father of three, who was a professional printer, was said to have retired into the hotel room after an all-night party with friends. He and his closest friend, James were alleged to have agreed to share the same woman for the night in order to save cost.
It was gathered that in the process, the deceased, who could not withstand the ecstasy, lost consciousness. His friend and the lady left the hotel without alerting anyone of the condition of Wale. His lifeless body was later found when all efforts by family and friends to reach him failed. James and two other girls who were with him that night were arrested and are currently assisting the police to crack the case.
Meanwhile, an autopsy had been ordered to ascertain the true cause of death. At the police station, the deceased’s friend, James, who was with him a night before he died, claimed that he could not explain what actually led to the death of Wale.
“He owns a workshop at Bariga and normally after the day’s hard work; we will relax in the nearest hotel with some friends. He lives in Ikorodu with his family and because of the traffic situation; he prefers to stay back in Shomolu.
“On December 5, we decided to club in that hotel where we are regular customers. I invited my girlfriends to come and keep us company. Around 11pm, we requested for a room but the hotel manager said that he only had one available for us. We decided to share one room. It was a big bed, so I slept in the middle so that Wale will not touch my woman’s body”, he stated.
When asked what transpired in the night, James explained that they only drank more alcohol and slept off. “We did not do anything bad because everyone was very tired. In fact, as soon as Wale got into the room, he slept off. He was very tired. Later in the morning, I woke up at about 5.20am and dressed up to leave. We woke him up and told him that we were about to leave and he bade us farewell. I settled my girlfriend and she left while I went home to see my family. At about 10am, I got a complaint from his family and friends that he is not picking his call. I also tried to call him but he refused to pick my call. I decided to go back to the hotel with another friend to check on him. We knocked at the door and he did not answer. I collected key from the reception and opened the door, only to see him lying down lifeless. Terrified, I rushed downstairs and alerted the manager to help, in case he was still alive. I was surprised that instead of calling a doctor, they called the police.”
Insisting that he is innocent, James said that Wale was still alive when they left the room. “I did not kill my friend. He was best my friend and we shared a lot of secrets together. The owners of the hotel know that we are regular customers and great friends.”
The undergraduate, Bisi, who spent the night with them, kept mute as her partner told the story of what could have happened. She later opened up and said: “I am a student of Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti and normally we come to Lagos to hustle. My friend, James asked me to arrange some girls to keep them company for the night. I brought three of my girls and they were distributed among the guys around.
“James said that we will sleep in the same room with the late Wale and I agreed. Just like he said, we just slept the whole night and left in the morning. He was still alive when we left. He settled me, and drove me to the park where I boarded a bus back to school. He later called me and said that Wale died. I thank God that we did not have sex that night, it would have been horrible”, she said.
The second girl, Kemi, who was also arrested, said that his boyfriend, David went to the room to check on Wale after James and Bisi had left. “I am a student of Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti and was invited by my friend, Bisi that there were some men in Lagos who are in need of good time. I was with David in another room for the night. In the morning, he told me that he wanted to go and check on Wale, since then he never came back. I do not know why he is on the run.
“I am ashame of myself because my parents thought that I was in school. I am asking God to help us solve this matter before my parents will start looking for me,” she said.
Describing the incident as unfortunate, the hotel manager, who was on duty when the incident happened, said that he specifically warned them against sleeping in the same room with a girl. “I know them very well because they are regular customers. After drinking and dancing at the bar, they requested for a room. I told them that I had only one room available, and also told them that I will not allow more than a couple to stay in a room. I did not know that there was any woman in that room till the incident happened. We got to the room and discovered that he was dead.”
Confirming the arrests, the state police command spokesman, DSP Joe Offor said that investigation was ongoing and the suspects, if found culpable, will be charged to court. He advised university students, especially the girls, on the need to face their studies.
by ROTMANLUV 2023-07-08, 17:34
