Septuagenarian who survived nine years on death row killed, buried in shallow grave in Edo

A 70-year-old man who survived nine years on death row, Arthur Judah Angel, has been reportedly killed by unknown assailant in Edo State.

The incident occurred in Ugboha, Esan South East local government area of the state.

It was gathered that the assailants who buried their victim in a shallow grave after killing him, also burnt down his house.

The deceased was said to have been sentenced to death in 1986 for a crime he did not commit and was on death row for nine years before he was later pardoned.

A cousin of the deceased, Michael Ihaza, who confirmed the incident, said he could not confirm if his uncle had problem with anyone.

He, however, disclosed that the the deceased’s son who reported the case to the police in Ugboha, was arrested the same day he was killed.

According to him, “He never reported any threat to his life to me. However, his 15-year-old son who reported the case to the police in Ugboha has been taken into custody for questioning but I don’t think he has a hand in his father’s death.

“The narrative that is making the round within the police circle and in town is that the boy is also a suspect.

“My late uncle fought for humanity in his lifetime. He worked on prison reform and he was a gentleman. I never heard that he had problem with anyone.

“Hopefully, the culprit will be identified and brought to justice,” he added.

The Edo State Police Command’s spokesman, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, confirmed the incident and the detention of the deceased’s son.

“One Arthur Angel Jr. 17, brought a complain of a shallow grave discovery at the backyard of the compound where he lived with the deceased,” he said.

The Command’s spokesman said operatives were mobilized to the scene and that when the body was exhumed, they discovered that it was the lifeless body of Arthur Angel.

“At a close look, they saw a sharp injury on the back of the deceased’s head and the body was taken to Uromi Hospital mortuary.

“According to the DPO, preliminary investigation revealed that Arthur Angel Jr. had severally threatened to kill his father on the ground that his father was expecting some money from Amnesty International.

“The suspect had a feeling that the money had been paid to the deceased and decided to use a sledge hammer to hit him behind the head while he was asleep.”

Nwabuzor said the suspect had been transferred to the homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.