Murder suspect says he killed his neighbour to protect himself

A 29-year-old driver with Worldwide Commercial Ventures located at Matori Industrial area of Lagos, Anthony Ogboru, has told the police that he killed his neighbour, Jonathan Ameh, during a fight on the 22nd of December, 2014, in self defence.

Now incarcerated at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), cell in Yaba, the Delta State indigene said it was not his intention to kill the father of 3 in the fight that ensued in their residence in Gowon Estate, Okonola, Egbeda, a suburb of Lagos.

According to Ogboru, the trouble that led him into becoming a murderer started when his rushed into their one-room apartment, tying on only a wrapper, to report that the deceased had dahsed into the bathroom while she was taking her bath and had seen her nakedness.

Angered by the brazen act of his neighbour, Ogboru said he had gone to confront Ameh in his apartment but instead of showing remorse for his actions, the late Ameh took offence and started an argument with him, threatening to beat him up.

The argument generated into a fight which drew the attention of other tenants, some of who came out to calm the warring men.

Continuing, Ogboru said after they had been separated, he had gone to a restaurant in front of the compound to calm down when Ameh suddenly appeared with a rake with which he hit him on the head. In retaliation, he picked up a knife with the aim of defending himself but the knife 'mistakenly' pierced Ameh's chest.

Narrating his predicament in tears, Ogboru said:

"I never intended to kill him. I have never killed anyone in my life. It was a mistake. After my sister reported the matter to me, I went straight to Jonathan, not with the intention to fight with him.

I knocked on his door twice before he came out and angrily asked what I wanted. When I asked why he barged into the bathroom while my sister was bathing without even apologising to her, he responded by asking if that was why I came knocking that late. Thereafter, he banged the door in my face, saying I should leave if I had no better issue to discuss with him.

At that point, I shouted at the top of my voice, warning him to stay off my siblings and the next thing he did was to open the door and told me that I had no right to issue him any warning. He dared me to repeat the warning and when I did, he punched me in the face and we started fighting.

After the first round of fight, I was taken to a restaurant in front of my house. While there, Jonathan came from nowhere with an iron rake, which he landed on my head. He raised the rake again with the intention to hit me the second time.

At that point, I took a knife I saw in the restaurant with the aim of defending myself. In the process, it pierced into Jonathan’s chest.

I never knew it was stuck in his chest because we still continued fighting. Even when I saw blood, I thought it was from my body.

I feel very bad about the incident that caused his death. I swear I did it in self defence. We have never been at loggerheads.

Before the incident, my sister sold a phone to him for N3000. About a week later, he said the phone was bad and insisted that his money be refunded. I appealed to him to give me sometime to pay him.

But at the end, he said I should forget about the money and the matter ended like that. So, you see, I have no reason for killing him. It was all a mistake."

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Kenneth Nwosu, said the suspect would soon be charged to court at the end of investigations.