Aisha was never my lover, says murder suspect

Silverbird staff was never my lover

The man arrested over the death of 25-year-old Silverbird staff, Aisha Noble Mustapha, weekend, in Ogudu Government Reserved Area, Lagos, has denied that he was her lover.

The suspect, identified simply as Chima, also denied having a hand in the murder. He claimed to have gone for the deceased’s rescue when he heard her shout for help penultimate Saturday.

However, accusing fingers were pointed at the 21-year-old suspect, following claims by a resident that he saw the suspect stabbing late Aisha.

This claim was corroborated by owner of the building with an undisclosed identity, who claimed to have rushed out of his flat when he heard a bang at the gate, only to meet the suspect and the deceased inside the drain in front of the building. The landlord, Vanguard gathered, was also arrested by the police.

Also, the deceased’s iphone was said to have been recovered from the suspect.

When Vanguard visited the flat occupied by late Aisha at 25, Salaudeen Akano Street, GRA, Ogudu, the gate was under lock.

The laundry store and eatery in front of the one-storey building were also locked, indicating that the owners could have fled for fear of being arrested in connection with her murder.

There were, however, bloodstains on the floor where late Aisha was said to have struggled with her assailant before falling inside the gutter.

A resident, who eventually spoke with Vanguard after much persuasion, revealed that the late Aisha, who hailed from Auchi, Edo State, was the only daughter of her aged parents.

He said the suspect once lived in the same compound as the deceased.

According to the resident, “Aisha was an amiable person. She was not a noisy person. We were all stunned when we heard she was murdered in cold blood.

“Chima (the suspect) was living with his elder brother in one of the flats in the same building with late Aisha. But he had a misunderstanding with his brother and was chased out of the house.

“His brother complained that Chima was mismanaging his business. He beat up Chima and drove him out of his house. We were so shocked to discover he was connected with the murder because he left his brother’s house three weeks ago.

“But from what we gathered, Chima said he came around that day to beg his brother for forgiveness. How he was found with the deceased right inside the drain remains a mystery to be unravelled by the Police.

“A man that rushed out to see what was happening said even when he attempted to bring the deceased out of the drain, Chima held on to Aisha, preventing the man from dragging her out.

“Again, someone claimed to have seen Chima hitting late Aisha. The man said he never knew he was stabbing her, until news later filtered in. These people have all made statements at the police station.”

Meanwhile, her aged parents, who reside in Auchi, are reportedly yet to come to terms with the death of their only daughter.

Her aunt, Mrs Aisha Haruna, who late Aisha lived with before moving into her apartment, was crying at SCID, where the case was transferred.

Her husband, Mr. Abubakar Haruna, emotionally described late Aisha as a peace-loving fellow, expressing hope that police would be able to unearth the actual circumstance that led to her death.