By EBIOWEI LAWAL, Yenagoa

Fresh facts about how a popular Bayelsa based baker, Temple George, was strangled to death in his apartment along Old Mr Biggs Road, Opolo in Yenagoa Bayelsa State have emerged.

According to neighbours account, the deceased, a 30 years old indigene of the Kalabari Kingdom in Rivers State, was reportedly strangled to death, on Friday night, by two yet to be identified assailants.

Tribune Online learnt that the decomposed body of the late baker was later discovered by his friends, family members and landlord at about 4 pm, on Saturday, in his bathroom, after several calls put across to him by some of his clients failed.

A close source told our correspondent, that “the deceased is a loner and doesn’t look for trouble, always busy with what he knows how to do best. You can never find him where you see people fighting or arguing because he rarely even have time for such.

“He was a very good baker who won several awards in cake baking and was doing very well in his profession. He was trained some years back during a vocational skill acquisition programme sponsored by his church, Salvation Ministries, and since then he was progressing because of his ability to be very creative and simple.”

Narrating what she witnessed on the night before the death of the baker, a neighbour said, “that same night I saw him with two people and I didn’t suspect anything because he was with them downstairs and they were talking normal, I passed and went to my own apartment to sleep since it was night.

“Later I heard a shout but I didn’t know where it was coming from though I still made efforts to verify where the noise was coming from but I didn’t see anybody, so I slept off.

“It was in the evening when some people came to the compound to ask for him because they haven’t seen him in the office and that after severally calls to him without success, they had come to check on him. So at that point, we had to ensure the police came around before his door was forcefully opened.

“I was surprised when we saw his lifeless body in the bathroom of his apartment. What has George done to deserve this kind of gruesome murder from unknown persons?” She asked.

A close family source said that this is the third attempt on his life and that he has always fought hard to escape his attackers but this time he was unlucky.

She said “it will never be well with those responsible for the death of their brother. Temple was a hardworking and industrious boy who does not give excuses for his work, he delivers early and perfectly. Oh, who did this, wicked world,” she added.

Another neighbour said “he hasn’t stayed in this apartment for even up to a year and he liked to keep to himself always. They killed him and locked him inside the apartment. We wouldn’t have known if not for the people that came to look for him at home on that Saturday.”

When Tribune Online visited the self-contained apartment, it was scattered in a manner that indicates that the deceased had a struggle before he was overpowered and killed.

Meanwhile, authorities of the Bayelsa State Police Command, who confirmed the assassination, disclosed that they have launched a discreet investigation into the death.

The Bayelsa State Police Command in a statement, signed by its Public Relations Officer, SP Asinim Butswat, said that the Commissioner of Police, CP Mike Okoli, has ordered for discreet Investigation into the circumstances that led to the death of Temple George, a popular baker in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

The statement read “Preliminary Investigation reveals that the body of the deceased was discovered by his Landlord, on April 17th, 2021, at his apartment at Opolo, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

“The Scene was visited by Police detectives, and the corpse was removed to the Federal Medical Centre Mortuary for autopsy.

“The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for proper investigations.” (Nigerian Tribune)

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