Edo Police arrests Togolese man over alleged murder of artisan

The police authorities in Edo state have arrested one Michael Agbalo, a 35-year-old Togolese national, over the murder of one Maharazu Umar in Benin.

 

Agbalo was alleged to have killed the victim at their work site in Benin following a misunderstanding between them.

 

The suspect was said to have contracted Umar to assist him in construction work when a misunderstanding ensued after completing the job and in the process, he killed the victim.

 

Briefing journalists on the development, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO),  SP Chidi Nwanbuzor, said the incident was reported at the Etete Division in Benin by one Clement Obagbikoko.

 

Nwanbuzor said that Obagbikoko told the police that he (Obagbikoko) employed the services of the suspect to assist him in carrying out construction work in his compound.

 

According to the police image-maker, the suspect later brought the deceased, who assisted him to do the job.

 

“When they finished, he was paid, and he was asked the whereabouts of Umar, he replied that he had left.

 

“But while Clement’s wife was inspecting the job at about 7 pm, she found Umar’s dead body in the pool of blood within the compound.”

 

“He said they immediately called the suspect to come to the house and was arrested

 

Chidi said the suspect had confessed that he hit the deceased with a hammer, and he fell and died, adding that the corpse has been deposited at the hospital.

 

He said the case would be charged to Court soon.

 

In an interview with journalists, the suspect said he contracted Umar to assist him in his work and ended up killing him over a misunderstanding.

 

“After our work, I asked him to wash the shovel, but he told me he wouldn’t do it, and in the process, we started quarrelling.

 

“He picked up a cutlass, and I hit him on his head with a hammer because he would have attacked me with the cutlass.”

 

“When I hit him, he fell down and I left him there. But, I now regret hitting him with a hammer now that he is dead”

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