By Evelyn Usman, Esther Onyegbula & Ifeanyi Okolie
LAGOS — The 31-year-old man, who allegedly strangled his 39-year-old
international business woman lover to death in her apartment at Green
Estate, Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos, last month, told a crowd yesterday
that he did it out of jealousy.
The suspect, Kelechi Williams, who
was paraded at the Lagos State Police Command, was arrested at the
border between Ghana and Cote D’Ivore by operatives from the Area ‘E’
Command, Festac Town and those of International Police, INTERPOL, while
fleeing with the deceased’s Range Rover Sports Utility Vehicle, SUV,
with number plate LAGOS EKY 509 AZ.
The suspect, Kelechi Williams and late Njideka Lizzy Nzewe
The
incident, according to him, occurred on July 19, 2014, at about 2 am
during an altercation over the late arrival of his lover, a mother of
four identified as Njideka Lizzy Nzewe.
How she was killed
Narrating
how he snuffed life out of the deceased, the suspect, who hails from
Umuji in Ndemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, said:
“Lizzy was my girlfriend. I knew her three years ago. But we started
getting serious in February this year.
“I came back from Ghana to visit her on July 16, 2014 which was on a Wednesday. The next day we went out and came back late.
“On
Friday, she told me to stay back at home and rest because I was tired.
She left the house, saying she was going to the new apartment she was to
pack into, assuring me she would be back as usual by 6 p.m.
“But
she did not return by 6pm. Rather, the gate man came with a power
generating set, saying madam had gone to drop the workers.
“When
it was 8 p.m. and I did not see her, I started calling her on phone but
she did not pick. I called her up to 30 times without response.
“She
came back by midnight and when I asked why she did not pick my calls,
she said the phone was in silent mode. I brought out my phone and called
her line only for it to ring.
“At that point I noticed she was
drunk. I got angry and asked if that was the way she would pay me back
for leaving everything in Ghana to come and spend time with her. I
threatened to quit the relationship. But at that point, her phone rang
and I told her to pick it but she insisted that I should pick it and
when I did, the caller, who was a male, asked ‘baby are you home?’
“Immediately
she discovered it was a male’s voice, she snatched the phone from me
and asked why I should pick her calls. I reminded her of a similar
incident when she came to visit me in Ghana and my phone rang. She pick
it and on discovering it was a female, she smashed the phone on the
ground, without knowing who the caller was.
“I reminded her also
that she collected my other phones from me and brought them to Nigeria.
In anger, I took the phone and smashed it on the ground.
“Before I
knew it, she threw my things outside, saying I should leave her house. I
told her to give me the N300,000 she borrowed from me to buy an air
conditioner, if she wanted me to leave but she said she had no money
with her and gave me her ATM card which she said had just N140,000.
“At
a point, she slapped me and we started fighting. She held on to my
manhood and started stretching it. That was when I held the wrapper that
was around her neck and used it to strangle her, thereby forcing her to
let go my manhood. She fell down and became motionless.
“Immediately,
I took her three phones, ATM card and went outside to meet the gate man
to see me off to any ATM machine, where I withdrew N100,000.
“I
dropped the gateman at home, and told him I was going to pump the tyre.
At that point, I knew I was in trouble. I did not go back to her house
for fear of being arrested.
“I drove straight to Mile Two, from
where I picked a driver who drove me down to Ghana. I spent some days in
Ghana before I decided to leave for Cote d’Ivoire,where unfortunately I
was arrested.
“I never wanted to kill her. I have never fought in
my life, let alone kill somebody. I did not also steal her jewellery
and N8 million as claimed by the Police. The only money I withdrew was
N100,000 and her phone.”
Suspect gives thanksgiving in church
Briefing
newsmen earlier, the command’s boss, Umar Manko, said after the suspect
killed the woman, he locked the door from outside, apparently to make
it look as if they had gone out. He further disclosed that a new
International Passport which bore the suspect’s name and the surname of
his deceased’s lover, was found on him, suggesting that the motive was
pre-empted.
Back in Ghana, preliminary investigation, according to
the Police, revealed that the suspect took the SUV to church, declaring
it was his. Police sources said he made an unspecified donation to the
church and also threw a party to celebrate the new car.
How I discovered my madam’s corpse—Guard
On
his part, the gate man, John Tungwim, said he suspected something was
amiss when the suspect dashed out from the apartment that night.
According
to him, “he told me he was going to the club with madam but that she
asked him to go and withdraw money with her ATM card first.
“I
went with him because I know madam’s pin code. But we came back, he told
me to go inside that madam said she was tired and could not go. So, he
drove out alone.
“I never suspected anything until the next day
when I did not see madam. I called one of the children’s attention to
it. Out of curiosity, I climbed a ladder only to discover that madam was
on the floor foaming in her mouth. I contacted her brother who called
in the police.”
