Maduako Igbokwe l Friday, November 18, 2022
AWKA, Anambra – A suspect, Ekenedilichukwu Okeke has explained how he killed his step mother for refusing to give him one million naira purportedly for school fees.
Ekene was among 20 criminal suspects paraded by the Anambra State Commissioner of Police CP Echeng Echeng on Friday in Awka Anambra state. Ekenedilichukwu had on 28th September, 2022 in company of his gang killed his mother one Mrs. Theresa Okeke aged 54 years, an accountant with National Population Commission, Awka. She was murdered in her residence at No. 4 Umuziocha, Awka by her step son and some of his gang members.
Speaking to our reporter on why he killed his step mother, he said that his step mother refused to give him one million to pay for his school fees.
” I had problem with my step mother and I wanted her to give me one million naira and she said no after sometime, I pleaded with her and she agreed to for give me . I wanted her to give me that one million naira to pay for my school fees and she said that she did not have such amount. I had to arrange for some of my friends to come and help me to extract the one million from her. They came at night tied her hands and leg to force her to give me the money ,but in the process she stopped talking and before we know it, she was dead ” he said .
On who paid his school fees, before the attempt to extract money from his mother ,he replied that the mother has been paying, noting that he need the money to settle some certain issues. One of the accomplices, arrested along with him, Mr Peter Jideofor said his friend called him to help him get some money from his step mother.
“Ekene told me he was having issues with his step mother and that I should help him to settle the problem and extract N1m from her to enable him pay his school fees in the university. I actually know him on the street because I do music and he also does music. I did not want to do it before but he continued pleading that I should help him out and I agreed to help him. When we got to his step mother house at about 2am,one of the guys tied his mother’s hands and legs and when she wanted to shout, I personally covered her mouth and i called the other one to bring something to tie her mouth.
After tiring her mouth ,she stopped breathing and we have to rush out because we did not come to kill her. When we were leaving ,we told Ekene to be checking her every 30 minutes and report to us to find out if she has recovered that he should call and tell us about development .
“Later in the morning he called us that the woman was dead and we were shocked, some of us ran away but I did not run away, I only stayed inside the room till they arrested me” he said.
According to him, they could not get any money from her because she could not give them her pin number. He also expressed regret for allowing himself to be used to kill her , noting that all his life he had tried to avoid killing .
While parading the 20 suspects terrorising the state , the state Commissioner of Police CP Echeng Echeng said the security operatives in state have arrested the killers of one Mrs. Theresa Okeke an accountant with the National Population Commission, Awka. The suspects, he said include kidnappers, armed robbers , EEDC materia vandals and others He said Ekenedilichukwu Okeke who slept in the same house with the deceased was arrested for interrogation immediately the matter was reported to police.
According to him, on arrest Ekene claimed that armed robbers stormed their residence and killed his step mother but after an intelligence based interrogation, he eventually confessed to the crime and named his accomplices.
“Detectives from State CID Awka swiftly mobilized in search of the accomplices which led to the arrest of three additional suspects, namely; Peter Jideofor ‘m’ a.k.a Rider, aged 23yrs, Chukwuemeka Christopher ‘m’ aged 29yrs and Chisom Emmanuel Dike ‘m’ 22yrs. They have all confessed to the crime and disclosed that it was the deceased’s stepson, Ekenedilichukwu Okeke ‘m’ who contracted them to come and kill the deceased to enable them transfer the sum of one million naira from her account, having known her phone password. The suspects will soon be charged to court” he said .
He called on criminal elements in the state to relocate as the state would be too hot for them.
However, he urged law abiding citizens to continue to go about their lawful businesses and give prompt information about criminal activities within their domain to the law enforcement agencies for appropriate action.
