New facts have emerged about the involvement of two teenagers, aged 16 and 17, in the tragic killing of their employer, Adeni Iyabode.
Iyabode, a popular caterer in Akure, the capital of Ondo State, was allegedly murdered by her two employees, Philip Emmanuel and Precious Kolawole, who are now facing murder charges and currently held in prison awaiting trial. The teenagers had worked for her for five months and two months, respectively, before the incident occurred, reportedly over a mere sum of N60,000.
Reports suggest that Iyabode treated the teenagers with kindness, similar to how she treated her own children. She granted them access to her home and kitchen and spoke openly around them, including sharing her ATM PIN, which they were familiar with.
Recall that the late Iyabode celebrated her 54th birthday in July during which she hosted lots of guests.
In the course of the celebration, it was gathered that Philip overheard a client telling his boss that N150,000 would be paid into her account.
Philip, who was described as a trusted employee of the deceased, was said to have briefed Precious about the money being expected by their boss. They both agreed that the only way to get the money was to kill her.
On July 25th, two days after the deceased celebrated her birthday, she invited her two staff to her Oda road residence in Akure, the Ondo State capital to help her clean the house without any foreboding they had other plans. She asked both staff to go to the kitchen to prepare food for themselves. It was after eating that they pounced on her while she was asleep and stabbed her severally.
The two assailants severed her head and attempted to set the body ablaze. Unfortunately, they could only withdraw N60,000 and not N150,000 . They split the money into two equal halves and fled.
According to a relative of the deceased, “They covered her head with a duvet and continued hitting her head. They later cut her wrist and leg. They used knives and stabbed her stomach, chest and breasts.
“In a bid to cover their tracks, the suspects attempted to set the victim ablaze but the gas refused to come up.
“They wanted to burn the whole house so that people would think it was caused by a gas explosion from the kitchen. But the gas cylinder did not explode as they planned. They then took her ATM cards and two android phones and fled the scene on that Thursday.”
Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Abayomi Oladipo, said a painstaking investigation led to the arrest of Philip. He said Philip’s voluntary statement expressed their individual degrees of involvement in the dastardly act.
Speaking when he was paraded, Philip denied being the mastermind. He claimed he was drugged by Precious to carry out the act.
According to him, “I am here because I killed my madam. Last month, I worked with her for five months. I was her cook. She just employed a driver who has only worked for two weeks.
One day, the driver came to me and said N150,000 just entered madam’s account. He told me we should kill my madam and collect the money. I said I have not killed someone before.
“On Saturday, madam said I should come and help her wash clothes because she was very tired. The driver came around and madam was surprised but the driver explained that he wanted to help her.
“That day, the driver brought a drink and gave it to me. I drank it. He brought out a cutlass and started threatening me that he would also kill me.
“We went into the house and he pushed me inside. He said I should use the cutlass to hit the woman. I did it. But I started crying.
“After we killed the woman, the driver went to check the money in the account and found only N60,000. He gave me N30,000. I went to Idanre.
“After four days, we heard the woman had died. Police called us to come and explain when last we saw the woman. I told them and they asked me to go home.
“They called me again and told me I am in communication with the driver. I had to confess.”
Precious, who was arrested after two months of being on the run, denied being the mastermind.
He said it was Philip who planned the killing and lured him into the act.
“I am a waiter to her. Two of us were involved in the killing. I was only given a phone and N30,000. It was the second boy that heard about the money. He called me and we did the act.
“I used part of the money and dashed out the rest of the money. I stay with my parents here in Akure. I am still in secondary school.
“I wanted to be an engineer. I know how to drive any kind of truck.”
The Ondo Police Commissioner cautioned Nigerians on discussing sensitive financial information, especially around employees or individuals who might misuse such knowledge.
“Avoid openly discussing financial transactions or other personal matters in the presence of staff or others who do not need to be informed.”