2nd September, 2014
Jethro Ibileke/Benin
A 22-year-old man, Bestman Momodu, has confessed that he killed his father over a missing stick of cigarette.
Bestman, who was among 68 suspects arrested by the police and paraded for various offences, reportedly killed his father, Zuberu Momodu, at Ubiane Aviele town, Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State, southern Nigeria.
Speaking to journalists at the State Police Command Headquarters in Benin, Bestman who confessed to the crime which took place on 16 August, 2014, however, attributed it to a mistake.
According to the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Foluso Adebanjo, who paraded the suspected criminals, investigation revealed that Bestman stabbed his father with a cutlass following an argument over a missing stick of cigarette in the house.
He added that the police have recovered the cutlass which the suspect allegedly used to commit the crime.
The suspects were arrested for their alleged involvement in various crimes ranging from armed robbery, kidnapping, murder, illegal possession of firearms, rape, cultism, defilement, unlawful possession of fake product to obtaining money under false pretence and impersonation.
Items recovered from the suspects include 17 assorted guns, 48 live cartridges, three cars, one Lifan motorcycle, one battle axe and one cutlass.
Adebanjo had earlier told journalists that police would strive to secure lives and property in the state in the “ember months,” noting that “the ember months are the months criminals want to reap where they did not sow.”
He, therefore, called on the media and members of the society to partner with police to combat crime by giving useful information to the police.
“We must all work together for a peaceful society. It is not for the police alone,” Adebanjo said.