From Rhoda Godwin, Yenagoa
In a shocking act of violence, an Igbo businessman named Cletus Alake was robbed and murdered in cold blood early Monday morning in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State.
Alake, who was known as “Mr. MTN” for being a major distributor of MTN phone cards, was attacked in his shop opposite the Ekeki Park.
Eyewitnesses say he was trailed by the assailants until he entered his shop, where they cornered him and stabbed him repeatedly until he died.
The robbers, whose identities are unknown, made off with an undisclosed amount of cash, Alake’s mobile phone, and his Highlander SUV parked outside the shop.
Alake, who was in his late 40s, owned First Choice Communication and a POS shop. He was described as a quiet and hardworking businessman owning other ventures in Yenagoa.
Residents and fellow traders gathered at the gruesome scene, where Alake’s body was discovered by his workers in the morning. His head had multiple stab wounds and his body was covered in blood.
Some onlookers questioned why the two police vans usually stationed across the shop were not present during the attack.
It is unclear if Alake was specifically targeted or if the motive was robbery, as he was known to come to the shop on Sundays to print MTN cards.
The Bayelsa State Police Command has launched an investigation into the murder. ASP Musa Mohammed, the police spokesman, confirmed the incident.
