A foreign national of Burkina Faso, Laday Wendipanga, is in police custody for allegedly killing a woman, Adepeju Disu, with a knife while she was asleep in the Holy Cross Cathedral in Lagos Island.
The suspect carried out the attack during the course of a vigil in the church premises on Friday, November, 4th.
He reportedly went further to inflict several cuts on her body after which he dumped her body in the corner of the church premises.
It was gathered that the police from the Lion Building Police Division removed the remains and arrested the suspect.
According to the reports, a mechanic in the church vicinity said that both the victim and the suspect were mentally ill and usually slept in the church premises after the building she inhabited on Lagos Island was demolished.
He said, “Both of them are mentally ill. They were being taken care of by the church. A vigil was going on that day when the incident happened. I learnt that she (Wendipanga) went to where the woman was sleeping on the church premises and slit her throat with a knife.”
However, a security man at the church premises, who didn’t reveal his name, denied that the woman was murdered in the church premises, saying it was a rumour.
He said, “I was on duty; nothing like that happened. Apart from you, somebody also came here to inquire about it. I have been on duty from the beginning of this month. I am a security man. If anything happens, I will tell you.”
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the incident, adding that the case had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Yaba.
She said, “The information we have is that the victim, Adepeju Disu, and the suspect, Laday Wendipanga from Burkina Faso, lived around the church. They seem to be mentally ill. Investigation will reveal more on that, especially on the side of the suspect. We need to do medical evaluation. The body was seen on the church premises. The case has been transferred to SCIID, Yaba, for discreet investigation.”