Published 24th Sep, 2022

By Tola Owoyele

Bolanle Fadairo, a Nigerian residing in Houston, Texas, United States of America, is facing murder charges for allegedly shooting Michael Essien, a fellow Nigerian, over a money-related dispute on September 20.

Fadairo is also being accused of deliberately leaving Essien’s two-year-old child to suffocate in a car.

According to the Houston Chronicle, Fadairo and Essien met at the parking lot of a supermarket and got into a heated argument over money. Fadairo, 38, pulled out a gun and shot Essien. Court documents revealed that Fadairo fled the scene in Essien’s SUV, with the victim’s two-year-old toddler in the backseat.

The stolen car was found by police officers later in the day, all locked and with windows rolled up. When the car windows were broken, the two-year-old was found to have died inside the car.

Although Fadairo claimed he did not know that the toddler was in the car, a surveillance camera showed that he sat in the vehicle for more than two minutes before abandoning it.

Paramedics said that Essien, 38, died on the spot after he was shot. The shooting was reportedly captured on another surveillance video belonging to the supermarket.

Also, records revealed that the accused tried to delete some text messages that could implicate him after committing the crimes.

When Fadairo was eventually arrested on September 21, he told investigators that the argument broke out because Essien owed him money.

The accused appeared in a preliminary court hearing on September 23 and has been remanded in custody till the next hearing date.

Share on Social Media