James Hardly Chase was right: The guilty have a tendency to be afraid. Kaveh Noine, a temperamental Lebanese who takes pleasure in brutalising his Nigerian staff for every perceived mistake, has once more proved the veracity of that statement.

Mr. Noine, a manager with Toppan Printing Company, Lagos, south-west Nigeria, fled town following media interest in his atrocities after he allegedly kicked his pregnant subordinate, Alexandra Ossai, in the stomach two weeks ago, causing her to lose her seven months old pregnancy. He has, however, been traced to his hide-out in the north-west state of Kano, nabbed and is now answering questions in connection with the crime. Mr. Noine was arrested yesterday by the Lagos State Police Command, according to a report in The Punch. He fell into the police net the same day President Goodluck Jonathan directed the police and the National Human Rights Commission to investigate the matter.

The Punch quoted Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, as saying: “Even before President Goodluck Jonathan ordered an investigation into the case, the Lagos State Police Command has been on it.

“In the course of our investigation, we discovered that Noine was still in the country; he had fled to Kano. Our men traced him to Kano, arrested him and have brought him back to Lagos.

“Presently, he is making his statement now at the command. The issue of bail has not come up for now.”

Ossai, who was thereafter sacked alongside two of her siblings who also worked in Toppan, was quoted by The Punch as expressing happiness of Nonie’s arrest. “I am really happy about the arrest. The rest is left to the police and my lawyer,” the 34-year-old mother of one was quoted as saying.

•Photo courtesy naijagists.com.