A Lagos hotelier has been arrested by the police following allegations of sodomy involving a 16-year-old secondary school student. The arrest came after a complaint by the boy’s father, Edozie Christian, a spare parts dealer at Ladipo Market in Mushin, Lagos.
The incident reportedly began in December 2024 when the teenager confided in his mother, revealing that he had a confession to make before the New Year.
According to the father, the boy disclosed that the hotel owner had lured him and four other students to his hotel in the Bucknor, Isheri Oshun area of Lagos State, where he allegedly sodomised them. The hotelier reportedly warned the boys that they would die if they revealed the incident to anyone.
After the confession, the boy allegedly began exhibiting erratic behaviour, described as “acting like a mad person,” and was rushed to a prayer house for intervention. When he regained some composure days later, he was taken to the Isheri Osun police station, where he provided a statement detailing his encounter with the hotelier.
The father further explained that his son disclosed the names of the other students involved but subsequently relapsed into erratic behaviour. Police reportedly invited the other students mentioned, but only one came forward with a laptop, providing a detailed account of the alleged abuse.
As of yesterday, the hotelier was being held at the Nigeria Police Zone 2 Command Headquarters for further investigation.
A police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the case is still under investigation and that a report will be made public once the probe is concluded.
It was also revealed that the Egbeda-based hotelier had previously evaded police during a search of his home, but an officer reportedly stood his ground to ensure the operation proceeded.
When The Guardian visited the hotel yesterday, business activities appeared to continue as usual, with security guards reportedly eyeing passers-by suspiciously.
Efforts to obtain further details from the Isheri Oshun Police Division were unsuccessful, as the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Uzoma Martins, declined to comment on the case.Meanwhile, the father alleged that the confessional statement of the second boy had been removed from the police station. During a phone conversation, he was overheard being instructed to end the call. (Guardian)