ENUGU— A farmer, identified as Nwaobasi Sampson has been apprehended and detained by the Enugu State Police Command for allegedly killing his business associate and burying him inside a bush in the state.
The victim, Friday Ani, who was until his death, a second year student of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, met his untimely death in the hands of Nwaobasi when the former demanded his own share of the money realized from the sale of cucumber, a farming business they had managed together with one other person.
According to a statement confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Ebere Amarizu, “the suspect on yellow jersey and identified as one Nwaobasi Sampson, a farmer based in Enugu but from Ntezi Ezza in Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi state, never knew that his iniquity will quickly find him out. It was gathered that his victim, Friday Ani, a second year student of Enugu State University of Science and Technology and his business associate had met his untimely dead on 31/7/19 when he had allegedly gone to demand from the suspect the payment of his money being his own share of the proceed of their cucumber farming business.
“The deceased, suspect and one Eze Paul were all partners in the business of farming of cucumber as the deceased and Eze Paul had raised money to the suspect for the farming of cucumber inside the bush, sell same and share profits amongst them.
“According to a reliable source, they were to share the sum of 6 million naira. The business is said to have thrived amongst them for 4 months now. In their cucumber business farming, the deceased and Eze Paul usually sponsor the accused and thereafter share the proceed after harvest and sells. It was gathered that problem broke out with the deceased when he allegedly demanded for the proceed which according to them is to the tune of 6 million naira.”
Following the constant pressure and demand on the suspect by the deceased and Eze Paul to get the money realized from the harvest and sells to be shared, the suspect allegedly went into the habit of hiding and avoiding them which made them believe the suspect may have reinvested into the farming with their money without them.
The statement further stated that, “On that fateful day 31/7/19, according to the suspect, the deceased had traced him to the farm to demand and find out what has been happening and in the farm, quarrel and misunderstanding broke out between the two of them which allegedly resulted in the killing of Friday Ani by the deceased and consequently buried him inside the bush on the account that the deceased wanted to kill him.
“The deceased was said to have been reported missing by relations who could not immediately find out what happened. Following this and suspicious ways the story appeared, the commissioner of police, Suleiman Balarabe directed for a full scale investigations in which through intelligence information, Nwaobasi Sampson, the suspect was later nabbed by the operatives of Unity Division of the Nigeria police Enugu state on 7/8/19 in partnership with the neighborhood watch group members from the community he was hiding.
“Just as the saying goes that no matter how far, evil must be revealed, suspect is now helping the operatives in their investigations in relation to how he allegedly killed his victim and quickly buried him inside the bush. The suspect also maintained that the money in question is not to the tune of 6 million naira but three hundred thousand naira.”
He also revealed that he never wanted to kill the deceased rather Mr Ani, the deceased wanted to kill him with a knife over the money in the farm but he had to struggle out the knife from him and stab him to death and buried him inside the bush to avoid being discovered by people.
A full scale investigations has been intensified by the operatives.
