Trader kills colleague, stocks vital organs in fridge

Photo : The building where the incident occurred at No 14, Obinnakwe Street, Okpoko, Anambra State

A businessman whose name was given as Leberechi, popularly known as Dangote, who trades at the Old Motor Spare Parts Market in Obosi, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, has reportedly killed his colleague, Chinemerem, an indigene of Ezeagu, Enugu State.

He was said to have allegedly harvested the vital organs of the deceased and stocked them in a refrigerator.

Information has it that the incident occurred on Saturday, August 30, when the victim accompanied the suspect to his apartment at No.14 Obinnakwe Street, Okpoko, Ogbaru Council area of the state, with the hope of buying goods from the suspect as he promised him.

On reaching the place, the suspect was reportedly killed, and his body stored in a refrigerator after his eyes were gorged out of its socket, with his penis, limbs and kidney cut off.

Confirming the incident, one Ifeanyi Obasi, who trained the victim in spare parts business and also a house mate to him before his death, said, “On that fateful Saturday, after the monthly sanitation exercise, Chinemerem left for market with his other colleagues, but in the evening, when others were coming back from the market, he did not return with them.

“Chinemerem served me for six years, and I tutored him in the business. He was freed in March, 2025 before Easter, and we agreed that he would stay with me for the time being, till he was able to pay for an apartment of his own, because he served me well.

“So, after the day’s business on that fateful Saturday, he didn’t return, and other boys staying with me could not tell his whereabouts. We prepared dinner, and kept his own, but he did not turn up to eat the dinner. I called his line throughout the night, but his line did not go through. I was surprised because, even though he was then a master of his own, he never slept outside the house without notifying us.

“On Sunday, August 31, I called the man from his community who handed him over to me to serve as an apprentice. I asked him if Chinemerem was in the village. He said no. I told him about the development, and he was surprised.

“I later called his shop neighbor in the market, and he told me that a young man in the market left with Chinemerem on Saturday, and that since then, he did not return.

“On Tuesday, September 2, at about 4pm, this neighbor of Chinemerem’s, called me and told me that the trader that left with Chinemerem was in the market. I rushed to the place with two of the boys living with me. On reaching there, we accosted the man and asked him of Chinemerem’s whereabouts. Initially, he denied knowing Chinemerem’s whereabouts. He said that on that Saturday, he sold some spare parts to him and he left.

“When he was pressed further, and he felt his act was already uncovered, he took to his heels, and we pursued him. He ran into a big gutter called Sakamori, along Onitsha-Owerri road. One of my boys ran after him, grabbed him inside the gutter, before we called the market chairman, who subsequently invited security men to help us.

“When the suspect saw security men coming, he dipped hands inside his pocket, brought a liquid substance (suspected to be poison) and swallowed it. Upon interrogations by the security operatives, the suspect confessed that he killed Chinemerem and kept his remains in his apartment. When asked reasons behind what he did, he said he did it under the influence of drugs and alcohol.”

When contacted, the chairman of the Old motor spare parts market, popular referred to as Mgbuka Obosi, Chief Samuel Ifurunwa said that the market handed the suspect over to Okpoko Police Station and that it was a joint team of the market security and men of the Nigerian police from Okpoko Division that recovered the remains.

It was however gathered that the suspect and the deceased are from Enugu State,