The Edo State Police Command has disclosed the shocking circumstances surrounding the tragic killing of 70-year-old Arthur Judah Angel at the hands of his own son, 17-year-old Arthur Angel Jr.
The community has been left reeling in shock following the revelation that a disagreement over anticipated funds from Amnesty International was the motive behind the disturbing murder of Arthur Judah Angel by his own son.
In a press briefing in Benin City, Police Public Relations Officer, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, narrated the chilling details of the case, revealing that the young suspect had repeatedly threatened his father, harboring a suspicion that he was in receipt of funds from Amnesty International.
Tragically, this escalating tension culminated in the son brutally murdering his father with a sledgehammer while he slept on July 15, 2024, and then callously burying him in a shallow grave in their backyard.
Nwabuzor detailed the investigation process: “On the 15th of July, 2024, at about 09:00 hours, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ugboha division in Edo State received a complaint about a shallow grave discovered at the backyard of the compound where Arthur Angel Jr. lived with his father. The DPO immediately mobilized his men to the scene. Upon arrival, they exhumed the body and identified it as Arthur Judah Angel. They noted a sharp injury on the back of the deceased’s head, indicating foul play. The body was then taken to Uromi Hospital mortuary.”
Preliminary investigations revealed that Arthur Angel Jr. had multiple altercations with his father over the anticipated funds, which the son believed had already been received by the deceased. In a fit of rage, the suspect allegedly used a sledgehammer to strike his father on the head, resulting in his death.
The suspect has since been arrested and transferred from Ugboha to the homicide section of the Edo State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.
Arthur Judah Angel, a renowned human rights champion and ardent opponent of capital punishment, dedicated his life to advocating for the abolition of the death penalty. Through his organization, Life Wire International Foundation, he tirelessly traveled to over 15 countries, utilizing art exhibitions and drawings to raise awareness and passionately campaign for this noble cause.
This tragic event has shocked the nation, not only because of the horrific act of familial violence, but also because it has silenced a powerful voice for human rights in Nigeria.
