Chinese lovers arrested for setting a Lagos hotel on fire, exchange blows in court .

Yesterday, Zhen Zhen, 47, and Leo Jian Feng, 41, were arraigned before an Ebute Metta Magistrate’s Court, for allegedly setting the room of Ernest Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, ablaze, while smoking some substance, thereby making the hotel lose properties worth N17,864,900.



There was however a mild drama after they started exchanging blows on the court premises. It took the intervention of court officials to stop them from injuring each other. They were arraigned on two counts of arson. They however pleaded not guilty.

A representative of the hotel, Muhammed Shubero, said, “At about 2: 00 a.m., one of the hotel attendants the smelt of cigarette from the room where they lodged. She went there immediately, warned them, telling them that smoking was highly prohibited in the premises. .

She told them she was going to call the police if they continue. They refused to listen to her, so, she left. The attendant and the security guard then called me in the morning that the hotel was on fire. When I got there, I was surprised to see that there was nothing left in the hotel.”

However, the Chinese, who spoke through an interpreter, denied being responsible for the fire. Feng, in his defence, said he never smoked in the facility. He said, “It is true that I stayed in the hotel, but I did not smoke. I was not around when the hotel was on fire.” .

Zhen, who also denied smoking, said she had slept off, but suddenly woke up to discover that the hotel was on fire and she ran for her life. They're eventually granted bail in the sum of N2m each with two sureties each in like sum. Cc: Punchng