A 17-year-old boy, Philip Emmanuel, has narrated how he and his accomplice, Precious (now at large), killed their madam, Mrs Adene Iyabode Deborah.
Late Adene, a popular Akure, Ondo State-based caterer, was found dead inside her apartment after not being seen for some days.
She was stabbed severely and her head severed.
In a shocking confession, Philip revealed that he conspired with Mrs Deborah’s driver to kill her. The driver, eager to start a “yahoo” business, suggested they steal her ATM card, having overheard that a large sum of money was soon to be deposited into her account.
The suspect, who was paraded at the Ondo Police headquarters some days ago, said he had worked with the victim for five months before the incident.
He said it was fleeing Precious, employed as a driver for only two months, that lured him to commit the crime.
Philip stated that Precious overheard that N150,000 was being paid into their madam’s account and approached him that they should kill her and collect the money.
On 25 July 2024, Philip and the driver (Precious) carried out their horrific plan. After lurking around till the unsuspecting woman fell asleep, they brutally attacked her, stole her ATM card, and withdrew a total of Sixty Thousand Naira (₦60,000). The driver remains at large, and efforts to apprehend him are ongoing.
According to him: “I am here because I killed my madam last month. I have worked with her for five months. I was her cook. She just employed a driver who has only worked for two months.
One day, the driver came to me and said that N150,000 had just entered Madam’s account. He told me we should kill my madam and collect the money. I said I had not killed someone before.
“On Saturday, madam said I should come and help her wash clothes that she was very tired. The driver came around, and Madam was surprised, but the driver explained that he wanted to help her.
“That day, the driver brought a drink and gave it to me. I drank it. He brought out a cutlass and started threatening me that he would also kill me.
“We went into the house and he pushed me inside. I said I should use a cutlass to hit the woman. I did it. But I started crying.
“After we killed the woman, the driver went to check the account and found only N60,000. He gave me N30,000. I went to Idanre.
“After four days, we heard the woman has died. Police called us to come and explain when last we saw the woman. I told them and they asked me to go home.
“They called me again and told me I was in communication with the driver. I had to confess.”
Ondo Police Commissioner, Oladipo Abayomi, who described Philip as a trusted employee of the deceased, urged residents to be cautioned when discussing sensitive financial information, especially around employees or individuals who might misuse such knowledge.
“Avoid openly discussing financial transactions or other personal matters in the presence of staff or others who do not need to be informed.”
Eighteen-Eleven Media