A 26-year-old man from Benue State, identified as Awaj Moses, has been arrested by the Delta State Police Command for allegedly killing his 38-year-old employer, Victor Oche.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Bright Edafe, the suspect, who worked at the deceased’s oil milling factory, claimed he committed the crime because his employer owed him six months’ salary, amounting to N360,000.
During interrogation, Moses reportedly told the police that instead of paying his accumulated salary, the deceased gave him only N500 daily for feeding.
He said he became frustrated when Oche allegedly told him he could not pay the salary because he was building a house.
Narrating how he carried out the act, Moses said, “I killed him on Sunday. I usually buy palm fruits for him, but that day, he said we should go together to Utopo to buy the fruits. In the bush, I saw a pestle, picked it up, and hit him on the head twice. He was in the front, and I attacked him from behind. I then used his clothes to cover his body.”
Moses also confessed to attempting to extort the deceased’s family after the killing.
He claimed to have answered a phone call from the victim’s sister and falsely told her that her brother had been kidnapped.
He demanded a ransom of N10 million but only received N300, which was transferred to his Opay account.
The PPRO added that the suspect was arrested after people noticed his sudden disappearance following his employer’s absence. Upon arrest, the victim’s phone was found in his possession. He later led police officers to the location where he dumped the body.
The remains of the deceased have been deposited in a morgue pending autopsy and the suspect will be charged to court after the completion of investigation on the matter.
