Tricycle rider slumps, dies during fight over newspaper

A tricycle rider, Chidiebere Okafor, is being detained at the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Lagos, for the death of his colleague, Frank Onah, in the Ifako Gbagada area of Lagos State.

PUNCH Metro learnt that Okafor pushed Onah during a disagreement over a sports newspaper on Tuesday on Yetunde Brown Street.

The Enugu State indigene was said to have slumped and was rushed to the General Hospital, Gbagada, where he was confirmed dead.

When our correspondent visited the community on Wednesday, the victim’s friends declined comment.

One of them, who eventually spoke, pleaded that he should not be identified.

He said, “We cannot explain it. Chidi (Okafor) had left a sports newspaper in a friend’s tricycle. Frank (Onah) took it to read.

“Some minutes later, the owner of the paper started looking for it and he sighted Frank reading the paper and challenged him.

“Chidi became angry when Frank refused to release the newspaper to him and they started arguing.

“Frank attacked Chidi with fist blows and Chidi pushed him. He slumped and died.”

Another tricycle operator, who also did not identify himself, said the victim had refused to release the newspaper because he thought it belonged to someone else.

“People had separated them and they were going their separate ways when Frank slumped and died,” he added.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the late Onah was married with two children.

His family members were said to be residing in their hometown in Nsukka, Enugu State.

A resident told our correspondent that he took the corpse to the mortuary.

“If I didn’t do it, the body might have been left to decompose, because everybody just abandoned him,” he added.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Chike Oti, said the suspect had been taken into custody.

He said, “It is a case of suspected murder involving two tricycle riders who had an argument over a newspaper. During the fight that ensued, one of them, Chidiebere Okafor, pushed his colleague, Frank Onah, and the victim died in the process. This was around 2pm on Tuesday.

“Our detectives have visited and photographed the scene. The corpse has also been deposited in a morgue for autopsy.”