The Cross River State
Police Command has arrested a man, identified as Ekemini Bassey for
allegedly killing his father, a retired University of Calabar lecturer, Prof.
Nathaniel Bassey, to claim his N40m gratuity.
The
police for being an accomplice in the alleged murder also want Ekemini’s
brother, Odiong Bassey.
According to PUNCH the duo had been having a running battle with their late father,
who was not pleased with their recent negative behaviours.
A family
source, which pleaded anonymity, said Ekemini and Odiong, who are university dropouts,
had been making frivolous financial demands on their late father.
PUNCH
Metro
further learnt that the retired lecturer was said to have complained to some of
his colleagues that his children were intimidating him into borrowing money to
meet their demands, which did not go down well with him.
Police
sources told said that things, however, became tense in the house after the
boys got clues that their father was due to be paid N40m.
One of the
sources said, “Ekemini confessed that they got some clues that their father,
who was teaching on contract basis after his retirement, was about to be paid
his benefits and gratuity of over N40m and they decided to kill him so that the
money would be paid to them as the next of kin.”
The
sources added that Ekemini confessed during interrogation that they stabbed
their father three times in different parts of the body and stuffed his mouth
with old newspapers so that he would not cry for help.
It was
learnt that penultimate week, Ekemini and his brother killed their father and
tactically dropped a knife beside him to create the impression that their
father committed suicide out of frustration.
Luck,
however, ran out of the brothers after Ekemini hired an ambulance to convey the
father’s corpse to Nsit-Ubium in Akwa Ibom State for burial. Security agents,
who were brought by some senior staff of the university, accosted him.
A source
at the university said, “On getting wind of the death of the lecturer, the
university security authorities swung into action and arrested Ekemini while
his brother took off to unknown destination.”
When PUNCH
Metro visited the state Criminal Investigation Department in Calabar, it
was learnt that Ekeminin was being interrogated and as at the time of filing
this report, Ekeminin was still with the police interrogators for his role in
the alleged murder of his father.
UNICAL’s
Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, Prof. James Utsalo, said, “Well, we
cannot comment on the matter because it is a criminal case and police are
handling it, so we are still awaiting the official report. Besides, the autopsy
report is not out; when it is out we will know what killed him.”
The
Officer-in-Charge, Homicide unit of the State CID, Mr. Joseph Inuyashi,
confirmed the incident, saying investigation on the matter was ongoing.
He said the police were still on the trail of Odiong, who
is on the run.
Source: Punch.
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