Footballer confesses to dumping body of 7-year-old in soakaway

A footballer, Patrick Onyekachukwu who was accused of killing a seven-year-old boy, on Thursday told an Ikeja High that he unknowingly killed the boy.

+The boy simply identified as Ayuba died on January 12, 2013 in the Abaranje area of Ikotun.

Onyekachukwu when arrested was accused of luring the boy into his compound, where he allegedly strangled him to death. He denied the allegation and also blamed one Jamiu for the death of the boy.

At Thursday’s proceedings, Onyekachukwu, however recanted his earlier statement and confessed that he mistakenly killed the boy. He admitted that he dumped the body in a soak away to escape the consequences of his action.

He made these confessions during cross-examination by the prosecution lawyer, Mr Akin George.

Narrating to the court, Onyeka said: “I was carrying my young friend on my shoulder and we were walking towards the door, when we both fell because the floor was slippery. I tried reviving him by pouring water on him, but he did not wake up.

“I shook him and tapped him but he was dead. At that point, I didn’t know what to do. I did the only thing that came to my mind by disposing the body into the soak-away in our compound.”

When it was discovered that Ayuba was missing, the neighbours organised a search party but were unable to locate his whereabouts, until one week later when Onyeka’s uncle called the deceased parents to come to his house and showed them a ransom written in Onyeka’s handwriting.

In the letter, Onyeka had demanded for N5 million as ransom, stating that he kidnapped Ayuba.

Onyeka was, thereafter, arrested in his uncle’s living room.

Investigation also revealed that Onyeka stangled Ayuba to death, hid his body in a bag and later disposed it in a nearby soakaway in the estate.

The suspect further confessed that he lied against Jamiu, whom he claimed to be a ritualist, stating that he said so because he was scared of what will be done to him if he told the truth.

“I was not comfortable seeing the family and the whole neighbourhood searching for him,” he said, adding that “I did not write any letter to the deceased family, I am not aware of any letter presented by my uncle.”

The matter was thereby adjourned till April 18, for continuation of trial.

 

Footballer confesses to dumping body of 7-year-old in soakaway