The Edo State Police Command has shared details of how a 17-year-old boy, Arthur Angel Jr., killed his 70-year-old father, Arthur Judah Angel, over money expected from Amnesty International.
The Public Relations Officer of the Command, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, spoke to newsmen in Benin City, saying that the suspect had threatened to kill his father several times.
“The suspect, who has since been arrested, killed the deceased with a sledgehammer and buried him in a shallow grave behind their house,” Nwabuzor said.
According to SP Nwabuzor, the incident occurred on July 15, 2024. He narrated the series of events leading to the discovery:
“At about 09:00 hours, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ugboha division received a complaint from Arthur Angel Jr. about a shallow grave at the backyard of their compound. The DPO mobilized his men and went to the scene. They found the shallow grave and exhumed the body, discovering it was the lifeless body of Arthur Angel, 70, with a sharp injury on the back of his head. The body was then taken to Uromi Hospital mortuary.”
Preliminary investigations revealed that Arthur Angel Jr. had repeatedly threatened his father because he believed his father was expecting money from Amnesty International.
“The suspect believed that the money had been paid to his father, and decided to use the sledgehammer to hit him on the back of the head while he was asleep,” Nwabuzor explained.
Arthur Angel Jr. has been transferred from Ugboha to the homicide section of the Edo State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.
The incident took place in Ugboha community in the Esan South East Local Government Area of Edo State.
Arthur Judah Angel, until his death, was an anti-death penalty advocate and human rights defender. He used his foundation, Life Wire International Foundation, to fight against the death penalty in the country.
He had traveled to over 15 countries to speak out against the death penalty through his art exhibitions and drawings.
