Kingsley Kato, a fellow bartender, was allegedly murdered by his colleague Nyagh Isaiah during a brawl at a hotel on Ojuelegba Road in the Surulere Local Government Area of Lagos State.
Punch claims that Isaiah and Kato got into an altercation that had the makings of a Point of Sale transaction while serving clients at the hotel’s bar.
It was gathered that the two were engaged in a shouting match and refused several entreaties by colleagues and customers to resolve their differences amicably.
But as the dispute progressed, the coworkers started fighting, eventually resorting to the use of weapons like broken bottles.
One of their colleagues, who refused to disclose his name over the fear of losing his job, told the publication that when Isaiah and Kato started fighting, they initially did not make use of any weapon.
The coworker explained that during the altercation, they both tripped over empty bottles, which smashed and caused injuries to various parts of their bodies.
“Both of them are from the same village. They were attending to customers when an argument started between them. I don’t know the cause of the argument that made both of them start engaging in a fight,” the colleague explained.
He continued; “As they were fighting, they both fell on empty bottles and the bottles broke. They continued fighting as they were rolling on the broken bottles and it pierced various parts of their bodies.
“One of them sustained injuries in the neck and chest, and the other person also sustained injuries in the stomach and other parts of his body. But the one that sustained injuries in the neck and chest was rushed to hospital where doctors confirmed him dead.”
The coworker stated that Isaiah was turned over to the police for prosecution and that the incident had been reported to the Surulere Police Division.
An anonymous client alleged that following the incidents that resulted in Kato’s death, hotel management called an emergency meeting.
“As I speak with you, the general manager of the hotel came from another branch to this place to hold a meeting with workers at the hotel today. I witnessed the general manager blaming the workers for not even calling the security officials when both of them started fighting,” the customer said.
“This place is a very busy place at night because a lot of people usually come here to have fun. Some customers usually come to have drinks, while some visit to patronise prostitutes.”
However, a source in the hotel said the argument that degenerated into a fight between Isaiah and Kato was based on a dispute over a PoS transaction.
The source explained that no one anticipated that the fight would take a tragic turn, adding that the families of the duo who hailed from the same village had been contacted and were en route to Lagos State over the matter.
SP Benjamin Hundeyin, a spokesman for the State Police Command, acknowledged the occurrence and said that an investigation is still going on.
