Teenager Arrested For The Murder Of Septuagenarian In Benin
Edo State Police Command has arrested a 14-year-old girl identified as Anna Amos, over the murder of a 71-year-old woman, Mrs. Helen Adodo, which occurred on Tuesday.
The deceased was said to have died on Tuesday, after her head was smashed with a stone by unknown persons who allegedly sneaked into her residence on Guobadia Street, in Benin, at about 7am.
It was gathered that Anna had been living with the septuagenarian as her house help since March, 2018, before the incident occurred on Tuesday.
The assailants were said to have blindfolded the teenage suspect, before killing the septuagenarian.
The incident attracted residents and sympathisers, some of whom wailed as they saw the lifeless body of the victim.
A man who is suspected to be the son of the deceased, expressed shock over his late mother’s death. He said that his mother did not have a disagreement with anyone in the neighbourhood.
“She was just a peaceful woman. She was just an old woman; so, I was surprised to see her in a pool of blood,” he stated.
The police are however working to unravel the actual killer of the deceased, following an alleged confession by the teenager claiming responsibility for the death of the woman.
A clip obtained by journalists on Wednesday showed the teenager confessing to the crime in the presence of some residents in the area.
She also claimed that she did not know the number of time the deceased was hit with the stone as she did not know what came over her.
She explained, “When I took some plates outside, I took a broom and swept outside. I stood on the stone and looked up and down.
“When I did that, something entered my body. I stood on the stone again and looked up and down.
“I took the stone to the veranda and sat on it. Later, I entered the room and did not know when I hit her head with the stone.
“I do not know what entered my body. It was a spirit. It told me to go and kill her. She did not offend me.”
The State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Chidi Nwabuzor, stated that the Command received a distress call over the matter at about 8:30 am.
Nwabuzor also disclosed that the case had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for further investigation.
“At about 8:30 am, the Divisional Police Officer of New Etete Police Station received a distress call that the woman in question was murdered. The DPO went there and found her lifeless body in her house in a pool of blood from the head region and a stone close to the body. The (distress) caller said that two men came into the residence, murdered the woman and went away.
“The DPO went there with operatives only to find the body on the ground in a pool of blood from the head region.
Then on investigation, it was revealed today that a girl who was staying with her, named Anna Amos, who came from the North with the help of the daughter of the late woman, was the one that killed the woman.
“Confession was made by this Anna Amos that she actually killed the woman. Anna Amos is 14 years old and by law, she is still a minor.
“But we will do all we can to see what we can do. We will not rely on the confession of that girl because, it might the girl that is responsible for the killing of that woman.
“According to investigation, the woman has been going through a lot of challenges with her health and before her death, she was down with a stroke. Perhaps somebody else did and asked this little girl to own up as the culprit.
“So, investigation in ongoing. We will try our best to unravel the situation and the report will be made public,” Nwabuzor said.
