Akwa Ibom State police command has apprehended one roadside petrol seller identified as Akpan Okon Akpan who allegedly burnt his friend, Junior Ime Philip to death following a disagreement over a phone charger.
Parading the suspect alongside other suspects who engaged in various crimes at the command headquarters, Ikot Akpanabia, Uyo, the Commissioner of Police, Olatoye Durosinmi said the suspect, had at the middle of the altercation with his friend poured petrol on him and ignited a match which caused the victim’s death.
According to the CP, “On 15th December, 2022 relying on petition from Rev. Emmanuel Ime ‘m’ of Ikot Ekwere Ubium Village in Nsit Ublum LGA, at about 6:30pm, operatives of the homicide unit of the SCID Uyo, arrested one Akpan Okon Akpan ‘m’ of same address who poured fuel on his brother, one Junior Ime Philip and set him ablaze leading to his death because of a disagreement over a phone charger.”
Upon interrogation, the suspect admitted to the crime, saying that he was forced to kill the deceased because he was the first that started a fight with him.
Narrating what led to his action, the suspect said: “I don’t know the guy before, he ran into my shop and said he was looking for someone who collected his charger, I told him that such a person was not in my shop. Out of anger, he took a bottle and started fighting me and I fought back.
“I used the petrol I sold and poured on him, honestly I didn’t know what I was doing until he started burning and people gathered. We were trying to put out the fire but it was already late because when they took him to hospital, he died there.”
Also, the Commissioner said the command had arrested one Joseph Friday for killing his father with claims that his father hypnotized him.
He said the suspect beat his father to death and dragged his lifeless body to the road.
The Commissioner said the mother of the suspect reported the matter to the police division in Etinan where the operatives arrested the suspect.
Meanwhile, the suspect, 25, had confessed to the crime, saying that his father usually appeared to him in the dream and bewitched him.
He explained that whenever such happened, something like a tortoise would enter his body and he would immediately become mentally deranged.
He said that he hit his father with his hands and he died.
The Commissioner, who frowned at the crimes, noted that the suspects would be charged to court at the end of investigations.
