Police arrest farmer over murder of business partner

The police in Enugu State have arrested one Sampson Nwaobasi, an Enugu-based farmer, for allegedly killing his business partner, Mr Friday Ani, over payment of proceeds made in farming business.

The command’s spokesman, SP Ebere Amaraizu, said in a statement on Monday in Enugu that the incident happened on July 31 in Agbani community; while the suspect was arrested on Aug. 7 by police operatives.

Amaraizu said the deceased and one Paul Eze were all partners in the farming of cucumber as the deceased and Eze had raised money for the suspect, who did the farming, sold same and shared the profit.

“It was gathered that his victim, Ani, a student of Enugu State University of Science and Technology met his untimely death when he demanded from the suspect his share of the proceeds.

“It was gathered they were to share N6 million as the business thrived for four months. However, the suspect allegedly started avoiding his partners which made them believe that he may have craftily reinvested the proceeds without them knowing.

“The deceased traced the suspect to the farm to find out what has been happening; and in the farm, misunderstanding arose between them which allegedly resulted in the killing of Ani by the suspect who buried him in the bush.

“The deceased was said to have been reported missing by relations who could not immediately find out what happened.

“Following the suspicious ways the story appeared, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Sulaiman Balarabe, directed for investigation in the course of which the suspect was nabbed by police operatives in partnership with neighbourhood watch group members from the community where he was hiding,’’ he said.

The police spokesman said the suspect had been helping police operatives in their investigation in relation to how he allegedly killed his victim and buried him in the bush.

Amaraizu noted that the suspect had however maintained, in his confessionary statement, that the money in question was not to the tune of N6 million but N300,000.

He said the suspect also maintained that he never wanted to kill the deceased and that the deceased wanted to kill him over the money but he had to struggle and snatch the knife from him and stabbed him to death. (NAN)