Police authorities in Edo State have given details of tragic event surrounding the killing of 70-year-old Arthur Judah Angel by his 17-year-old son, Arthur Angel Jr.
While speaking during a press briefing in Benin City, the spokesman of the Command, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, narrated how the young suspect had frequently threatened his father, suspecting him of receiving the Amnesty International money.
On July 15, 2024, the gruesome act culminated in the son using a sledgehammer to kill his father while he slept, subsequently burying him in a shallow grave behind their house.
Nwabuzor said, “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.”
The victim, Arthur Judah Angel, was a prominent anti-death penalty advocate and human rights defender.
Through his foundation, Life Wire International Foundation, he campaigned vigorously against the death penalty, traveling to over 15 countries to raise awareness through art exhibitions and drawings.
This incident has not only highlighted a grievous act of violence within a family but also marked the loss of a dedicated advocate for human rights in Nigeria.