A butcher, Michael Kingsley, has been arrested for allegedly killing his colleague, Ifeanyi Egwuagu, in Enugu State.
The incident happened at Artisan Quarters, in the Ogui area of Enugu.
It was learnt that Kingsley and the deceased, Egwuagu, operated as butchers in the Artisan market located around the Artisan Quarters.
Kingsley slaughters chicken for a living while Egwuagu kills goats within the same area.
The two men were said to be close friends, but their friendship ended tragically when Kingsley stabbed Egwuagu to death on Sunday, January 14, 2018.
Eyewitnesses told Southern City News that Kingsley took to his heels after stabbing Egwuatu, who later died at Eastern Medical Centre in Enugu, where he was rushed to for treatment.
However, Kingsley’s attempt to escape arrest was not successful as he was eventually apprehended by the police.
The spokesman for the Enugu State Police Command, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, who confirmed the arrest, said the butcher was nabbed while attempting to leave Enugu.
Amaraizu added that following his arrest, Kingsley owned up to the crime, but claimed that he did not intend to kill Egwuagu.
The embattled butcher said he killed his colleague in error.
“Following his prompt arrest, the suspect revealed that the deceased was his close friend and that they were both butchers at Artisan Quarters and that on the fateful day, he had gone out with one of their butcher friends, who he identified as Ogidi, to drink, after which they came back in the evening.
“He (Kingsley) further alleged that when they came back, the said Ogidi compelled him to buy more drinks, but he refused, after which Ogidi engaged him in a fight, which later attracted Egwuagu’s attention.
“According to him, Egwuagu rushed out to stop the fight, but was mistakenly stabbed twice with a broken bottle, in the rib and the lower abdomen.
“Kingsley said he decided to run away to avoid arrest when he noticed that Egwuagu was gasping for breath,” Amaraizu narrated.
The police spokesman added that ‘a full-scale investigation’ was being conducted to unravel the circumstances that led to the killing.
He also disclosed that Egwuagu’s body had been deposited in the mortuary at Eastern Medical Centre.