20-year-old Cephas Abbas from Benue State has been arrested by the police in Edo State for allegedly hacking a motorcyclist identified as Aniete Okon to death in the Ovia South-West Local Government Area of the state.In a bid to steal the victim’s motorcycle, the suspect, a rubber tapper had asked Okon to give him a ride to Benin City on November 3.
On their way, he told the deceased victim to make a stopover on the way near a rubber plantation. Abbas picked a cutlass and hacked Okon to death before fleeing on the motorcycle.
His attempt to sell the motorcycle failed after residents in the area, who suspected that he must have stolen the property alerted security operatives attached to an agro-allied firm. He was handed over to the police in the area.
In his confessional statement, Abbas said he never intended to kill the man and blamed his heinous crime on poverty.
“He took me on his motorcycle, and on our way from Benin, I saw a cutlass at a rubber plantation. Then I told him to stop, take the cutlass and cut him in the neck. I did not plan to kill him; it was because of poverty. I took the motorcycle to another community to sell. But I could not sell it; it was identified as a stolen motorcycle.
The residents of the community said the motorcycle was stolen and that they would follow me to where I reside to verify the ownership of the motorcycle. As we were going, some security men stopped us and the residents explained to the security men that they suspected the motorcycle I was riding did not belong to me. So, I was taken to a police station. I regret what I have done.”
The State Police Commissioner, Mr Halilu Gwandu, who paraded Abbas along with other suspects on Tuesday, November 29th, said the case was still under investigation.
