The suspect was employed as a househelp by the deceased, identified as Chima Anolue, a lecturer in the Psychology Department at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.
Anolue was attacked with a pestle when a fight broke out between him and the domestic help on the night of Friday, July 14, 2023, in Ifite village, Awka.
The suspect is also said to have bruised the deceased’s body with a knife after he became unconscious, in an attempt to make it look as if he was attacked by a third party.
Local security personnel apprehended the attacker, and during interrogation, he confessed to the act. Initially, he denied killing his employer but later admitted to the crime after he was severely beaten when his behavior became suspicious.
Confessing to the crime, he said,
“When he came back, he told me to cook rice. And as I was cooking the rice, he asked me why I did not wash plates. I did not reply. He then asked why I wasn’t responding to his question.
In the process, he slapped me. But I told him I usually have ear problems, and that people don’t slap me. As I was saying that, he angrily asked why I was interrupting him and he slapped me again.
I got angry and we started fighting. After he overpowered me, I looked around and saw a pestle which I used in hitting him. I struck him three times with the pestle and stopped after he started bleeding”.
Watch him speak below,
Meanwhile, family and friends have since taken to social media to mourn the deceased.
The deceased’s brother, Chima Uzoagu, wrote on Facebook.
“Chima was my brother. A wonderful chorister and a fine choir leader. He comes from one of the finest family in Igboukwu, his parents have loved me like their son right from my days as an undergraduate.
Chima my brother went viral yesterday not because of all the fine virtues bestowed upon him by God…But because he was gruesomely mvrdered by their househelp just because my brother scolded him for letting the food on fire get burnt.
Not once, not twice but three times this animal hit Chima with a pestle on his skull.….Chima wasn’t kidnapped, he didn’t have a road accident neither did he die in his sleep.
His beautiful young and promising life was cut short right inside his home by a person they housed, clothed, fed and paid. I don’t know how I feel or have felt since yesterday”.
