Fresh facts have emerged on how Aribemchukwu, daughter of Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia, was murdered in her apartment on Bembe Street, Parkview Estate, Ikoyi area of Lagos, on Tuesday night.
This followed the confession of one of her domestic staff, 21-year-old Peter Abigiel, who was arrested alongside two others: Olatunji Oluwasegun, 35, and Umaru Mamman, 45, by the Police.
Abigiel, who worked as a maid, confessed during interrogation that the deceased, a Medical Doctor fondly called Chuchu, was gagged and stabbed in the neck.
Chuchu, who was in her early 30s and the first of two children, lived alone with the domestic staff.
The maid further told detectives that they killed her because they wanted to collect some cash and other valuables.
Recall that late Chuchu’s lifeless body was found in front of her house at about 6:45 am on Wednesday, July 31, 2024. However, Abigiel’s confession has confirmed the bereaved family’s suspicion that Chuchu was murdered inside her apartment and her body dumped outside.
After the arrest of the three domestic staff, they were kept in separate cells, from where they were interrogated one after the other.
The duo of Oluwasegun and Mamman denied culpability in the murder when questioned. However, Abigiel opened up during her session. When they were brought together, sources said she opened up on each other’s role in the murder.
She told detectives that they tied her neck with a piece of cloth, and that while she struggled to free herself, one of them gagged her and stabbed her in the neck.
Though she told detectives that the motive was to leave her unconscious and flee with the valuables, she said that on realizing she was dead, Oluwasegun and Mamman dragged her body out of the apartment, under the cover of darkness, before they cleaned the blood-stained floor.
Thereafter, she said they concluded to escape by morning. That was, however, after they ransacked the deceased’s room and collected what they wanted.
Speaking on the incident, Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command, CP Adegoke Fayoade, said detectives traced the blood that was not properly cleaned to where they perpetrated the crime.
He said, “The driver tried to deny, but the maid insisted they did it together. Signs of an attempt to clean up blood inside the house and in the compound were there. Besides, they were found in possession of the deceased’s valuables they attempted to escape with.”
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