The Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Imo State Police Command, has arrested a landlord, Felix, for the murder of his tenant, 36-year-old Felix Chukwu. He was allegedly shot with a single barrel gun by Felix over N14,000 four-month house rent at Umuagwu, Ohi Owerri West Local Government.
Commissioner of Police, Mr. Dasuki Galadanchi, said the ugly incident happened on April 5, 2018, when the case has reported at Ogbaru Police Station. Felix was arrested and the case transferred to CID “and the suspect is in our custody. He confessed to the crime.”
The suspect told Daily Sun: “I am a hunter. I am a landlord. I used a single barrel gun to shoot my tenant, Felix Chukwu, over a four-month of house rent. The deceased was living in my house since March 15, 2017. They paid N3,500 per month. The deceased paid me N10,000 for six months until it expired. Since then, he promised to pay me, until December 15, 2017, he only paid me N3,500. I have increased house rent from N3,500 to N4,000.
“I reported the deceased’s matter to Ogbaru Police Station before the police referred me to vigilance group to handle the matter. I gave the deceased just one week to park out of my house. But he refused rather the deceased came in the night after I have locked the gate.
“The deceased came in around 11:00pm on that fateful day, he was drunk. I asked him where was he coming from and I asked him about my house rent. I went inside my house and brought out my single barrel gun. Immediately I opened the gate, argument ensued and I shot the deceased. The police came and arrested me.
“I didn’t know what went wrong with me. It was announced that prompted this evil act on me. I want the family of the deceased to forget the four months house rent and forgive me what I have done.”
The deceased’s wife, Ugochi, spoke: “My late husband Felix Chukwu and landlord had been living cat and dog lives. It is about house rent debt. The landlord gave my husband increment of the house rent from N3,500 to N4,000. My late husband told the landlord that he could not pay N4,000.
“The landlord insisted that we must park out of his house. The landlord took my husband matter to Gbaru Police Station and they referred them to vigilance coordinator to handle the matter. The vigilance coordinator judged against the landlord that the one week quit notice was too short for us to get another accommodation.
“The landlord went with annoyance claiming that the vigilance is supporting my husband. The landlord left. On that fateful day around 11:00pm when my husband wanted to enter the compound, he knocked at the gate. The landlord came and asked my husband why he came late.
“The landlord insisted that my husband would not come in. The landlord went inside his house and brought out his single barrel gun and said he would shoot my husband. The wife of the landlord started calming his husband wanted to collect the key of the gate suddenly I heard a gunshot. My husband was on the ground with pool of blood. We want justice to be done in this case. The landlord has terrorized us since we moved to his house.”
Dasuki said the Police Homicide Section has recovered the single barrel gun from Felix and he will be charged to court for murder case to face his consequence.