Speaking with The Nation newspaper at the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) where his case was transferred to, the suspect denied most of the allegations, including drug addiction and returning home late on the fateful day. He however confessed to killing his master with pestle as well as attacking Ogechukwu with the same object.
He said: “I came over to Onitsha in 2023 to learn the trade at the instance of my elder brother who had connection with my master.
“I had to agree to relocate to Onitsha since my parents, who are peasant farmers, could not sponsor my university education even when I had passed both West African Examination Council (WAEC) and Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) exams.
“My relationship with my master was cordial until recently. I remember one of the days I came back from church activity and my Oga (boss) pounced on me, insisting I should tell him where I went to.
“I reported that experience to my elder brother who linked me up with him, but my brother advised me to patiently endure and see the maltreatment as part of the apprenticeship experience.
“In July last year, I met with a friend in Ogbo-Ogwu Market, Nnabuife and requested for his assistance to open a bank account for me so I could be saving money there. He agreed and opened the account, which I kept monitoring through PoS until it got to N5 million and I requested Nnabuife to help me withdraw the money.
“By then, I was already planning to quit apprenticeship to enable me establish mine. But by the time Nnabuife (who also is currently in police custody) withdrew the money, the amount he handed over to me was not complete. It was roughly above N3million.
“When I complained, he threatened to collect the entire money, insisting it was his own gain for assisting me to open the account and monitor it.
“This got me angry because I had already planned what I would do with the money.”
Asked what triggered the murder incident, he said: “I came back from the market around 7.30pm on that Saturday. I didn’t come back late, neither did I visit any girlfriend.
“Rather, I was not feeling fine. I noticed that my head was aching and I had to visit a chemist shop where I bought some drugs.
“Meanwhile, I took permission from my master’s sister before going. But before I came back, she had already called my boss to tell him that I was not at home, and he instructed that they should not let me in.
“I was outside for a long time before my Oga’s wife, who was ignorant of the directives from his husband, opened the door for me.
“I remained in the kitchen till around 3am when my master returned, and as he entered, I took the pestle in the kitchen and hit him thrice in the back of the head.
“I also dashed to the room where the sister was sleeping and hit her too. She suddenly woke up and struggled over the pestle with me before rushing out to call for neighbours’ intervention.
‘Why I k¡lled my boss’
“I had been hearing rumours that my master had learnt about my savings, and was planning to collect the entire money and punish me severely.
“Since I was already fed up with what I was doing and had decided to quit so I could use the money to set up my own business, I had no option but to take the action.
“Besides, I had also begged him several times to buy a phone for me, being the only person in the entire compound without a phone, but he refused.”
Chiemerie, who denied his actions were triggered by drugs or alcohol, blamed it on the devil.
He said: “I used to take tablets of Tramadol. But when my Oga discovered I was taking the drug, he warned me to stop and I obeyed. I was not taking the drug before I came to Onitsha. So it was neither drugs nor alcohol that caused it.
“I can’t just explain what came over me on that day. I think it was the devil’s manipulation.
“Actually, my intention was not to kill him, but the maltreatment, especially the call from my Oga’s sister to him and his instructions to lock me out of the house, forced me to act that way.
Asked how he felt after the incident, the innocent looking but fearless boy, who showed no sign of remorse or penitence, said he was prepared to face the consequences of his actions. He said it was needless asking for forgiveness because he knew he would not be forgiven.
“I’m ready to face the consequences; whether death by hanging or by shooting. I am ready to die and face judgment, because I know I will not be forgiven even if I ask for it,” Chimerie said.
The Nation
