Two cooks, who are nationals of the Benin Republic, Victor Hounkpe and David Amusu, have been arrested by the police in Lagos for allegedly poisoning their employers’ meal in the Lekki area of the state which resulted in the loss of consciousness and hospitalisation of not only the couple, but also of their two security guards.
The incident happened on Wednesday, April 22, at about 5pm, when Hounkpe, who had stayed for about a month in the house, prepared vegetable soup for the family. All members of the family, including the security personnel in the compound ate the soup which was served by the cook for dinner.
Minutes later, the husband, Mr Nwogu Chinaka, reportedly developed severe stomach ache and collapsed, while the wife, Omowunmi rushed him to a nearby hospital.
The wife, however, also became unconscious and fell at the gate of the hospital after she complaining of severe stomach pain too. The couple was treated in the same hospital.
Two security guards in the compound were brought to the hospital later in the day after Hounkpe and Amusu had fled.
The runaway cooks were later arrested by Police from the Department of Criminal Investigation, Yaba.
Speaking with Punch, 34-year-old Hounkpe said he put the substance in the family’s soup to make everybody fall asleep so that valuables in the house could be easily carted away.
“I am from the Benin Republic. I came to Nigeria in 2007. I have always worked as a cook in Lagos. David was the agent who brought me to the couples’ house. He was the one who gave me the substance to put inside the soup. He told me the substance was a sleeping pill. The plan was that everyone would fall asleep.
“They wanted to steal gold and other valuables. I put the substance inside the vegetable soup. It was a powdery substance. I had worked with them for about a month. The couple did not offend us. They were to pay me N50,000 monthly. We just wanted them to sleep off. I ran to the Ogudu area after the incident to pick up another job. That was where I was arrested.”
Amusu, 33, added that the gang was about raiding the couples’ apartment when the duo became unconscious and was rushed to a hospital.
He said, “I was a former cook in the house. I was the one who brought Victor (Hounkpe). On the fateful day, when Victor finished cooking the soup, he called me to say the job had been done. But then, we learnt that the couple was rushed to a hospital after falling unconscious. So, we fled the area.”
The police added that the plan was to use Hounkpe as an insider to give free access to the robbery gang. Amusu was to lead the gang members into the compound. They added that the plan was foiled.
The CP, Aderanti, who paraded the suspects, advised residents of Lagos to always do background checks on people employed into their homes and places of work.
He said, “They have both confessed to the crime. The couple have been flown abroad for treatment. I want the public to always be careful about the people they bring into their homes. In Lagos, there is no place for criminals to hide.”
SOURCE: THE PUNCH NEWSPAPERS.
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