Posted by By JULIANA FRANCIS on
The police have held a 17-year-old boy, who stabbed a 27-year-old to death over N5 sachet water at the Agege area of Lagos. The suspect, Joseph Godwin was said to have become infuriated when he thought the deceased, Azeez Adebayo didn't want to pay for the water he had bought.
The police have held a 17-year-old boy, who stabbed a 27-year-old to death over N5 sachet water at the Agege area of Lagos. The suspect, Joseph Godwin was said to have become infuriated when he thought the deceased, Azeez Adebayo didn't want to pay for the water he had bought.
Investigations by a team of policemen attached to Anti-robbery section in Area G led by Adebayo Amos, were said to have discovered at the scene a kitchen knife, buried deep into the side of the deceased. The only part sticking out of the corpse was the handle of the knife.
Corporal Richard Afarigin told Daily Sun: 'There was an argument between the suspect and victim. The deceased bought sachet water from Godwin. He deposited N200.
They later started arguing over the balance. The victim collected the money to look for change but the suspect, thinking he was leaving with the money ran and held him. They started struggling. Godwin, the suspect, picked the knife he used in slicing vegetable for customers and stabbed the victim."
Adebayo, a commercial bike rider later died at a hospital in Agege. But Godwin said the detectives were not narrating the story as it happened. He said he had killed Adebayo, who he called his 'good friend," by accident.
Explaining how it happened, Godwin said, 'He came to buy water . He gave me N200. I told him there was no change. I told him to go and look for change, he said no. He said I should look for change myself, I told him to wait and allow me to finish grinding egusi (melon) for a customer that he met. I promised to look for change as soon as I finished.
'He just took the egusi grinder and threw it on the road. He also threw away the melon I was grinding. He started giving me blows. I wanted to defend myself with the knife, which was already in my hand before he started attacking me. I was using it to grind the egusi. I wanted to ward him off, but I really don't know how it happened. It was only once the knife got him. I never knew it would go in that deep."
Petrified with shock, Godwin said the next thing he knew was that people started beating him.
The young man is now facing his troubles alone as his elder sister who owns the shop at the market and his mother, had bolted from home. His father is at his village in Akwa Ibom.
Godwin thinks the horrible incident could have been averted, if only Adebayo had exercised patience and allowed him to finish grinding the melon. He said, 'I can't run away with his change."
Though Godwin denied deliberately killing the victim, detectives have discovered from neighbours in the market that the suspect was fond of threatening people with the knife. The commander at Area G, Mr. Sam Ojehunme said the incident closely shows the sort of home and background the suspect came from. He also said that though it was a murder, the case might be treated as a juvenile one based on the culprit's age.