A caretaker of one of the off campus hostels at the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Owerri, Ezinwanne Lodge, has allegedly killed a student of the institution, Anthony Chinweotito Emmanuel, over issues surrounding payment of rent.

Anthony, a first year student of the Department of Building Technology, was hit with a saw blade on Tuesday on his stomach but died Saturday night in a hospital.

According to some of the students in the hostel, the caretaker, whose name could not be ascertained, had locked up the water supply because some students refused to pay the full house rent.

This, it was gathered, led to argument that they did not live in the hostel between March 2020 and January, 2021 following the Covid-19 lockdown.

Following the excruciating agony they faced while the taps were locked, the students in the lodge identified as “Ezinwanne Hostel” decided to open the tap and fetch water in the absence of the caretaker.

When the caretaker came back and saw the tap opened, he proceeded to use a saw and cut open the water pipe.

The angry students began exchanging words with the caretaker and Anthony was allegedly stabbed by the caretaker, who was said to have also gone ahead to hit the student with a plank.

The caretaker was said to have run away immediately, leaving the student in the pool of his blood.

It took the intervention of fellow students who took Anthony to the nearby hospital where he was rejected until he was taken to the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri where he died on Saturday.

The spokesman of Imo Police Command, Orlando Ikeokwu said, he was not aware of the matter but would call the divisional police officer in charge of Nekede Police Station to get clear picture of the incident.

However, a source at the Nekede police station, who confirmed the incident, said the caretaker is in police net and the case would be handed over on Monday to the State CID for further investigation.

The source said that the police would after investigation charge the suspect to court. (The Nation)

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