A student, Ekenedilichukwu Okeke, has explained how he killed his stepmother for refusing to give him N1million to pay school fees.
Okeke was among the 20 suspects paraded by the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, CP Echeng Echeng, on Friday in Awka.
On September 28, 2022, Okeke, in company with his gang members, killed his stepmother, one Mrs. Theresa Okeke, 54, an accountant with the National Population Commission, Awka. Okeke lived at No. 4 Umuziocha, Awka.
Speaking to the Daily Trust on why he killed his stepmother, Okeke said the woman refused to give him N1m to pay his school fees.
He said, “I had a problem with my stepmother, and I wanted her to give me N1m, but she said no. After some time, I pleaded with her, and she agreed to give me the money to pay my school fees.
“I had to arrange for some of my friends to help me extract the money from her. They came at night and tied her hands and leg to force her to give me the money, but in the process, she stopped talking. Before we knew it, she was dead.”
One of the accomplices, Peter Jideofor, said Okeke called him to help him get some money from his stepmother.
“Okeke said he was having issues with his stepmother 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, but he was pleading that I should help him out and I agreed to help him. When we got to his stepmother’s house at about 2am, one of the guys tied her hands and legs and when she wanted to shout, I personally covered her mouth and called the other one to bring something to tie her mouth.
“After tying her mouth, she stopped breathing, and we had to quickly left because we did not come to kill her.
“When we were leaving, we told Okeke to check on her every 30 minutes and inform us if she had recovered.
“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. I only stayed inside the room till they arrested me,” he said.
He said they did not get any money from her because she did not disclose her ATM PIN.
He also regretted participating in the act, noting that all his life he had tried to avoid killing.
While parading the 20 suspects terrorising the state, CP Echeng said the security operatives had arrested the killers of one Mrs Theresa Okeke, an Accountant with the National Population Commission, Awka.
The CP said Okeke initially claimed that armed robbers had stormed their residence and killed his stepmother, but after investigation, he eventually confessed to the crime and named his accomplices.
“Detectives from State CID Awka swiftly mobilised 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 woman to enable them to transfer the sum of N1m from her account, having known her phone password. The suspects will soon be charged.”
However, the CP urged law-abiding citizens to continue to conduct lawful businesses and give prompt information to law enforcement agencies about criminal activities within their domains.
