be Learnt when young student entangle themselves in Cult
activities....
Tragedy struck the University of Calabar (UNICAL) community in Cross
River State as Prof. Nathaniel Bassey was allegedly murdered by his
sons over N45million pension pay-off. Investigations revealed that the
late Prof. Bassey, 67, was allegedly killed by his two sons, Ekemini
and Odiong, with the hope of collecting the amount. The duo, family
sources said, had been having a running battle with their late father
on finance, sometimes leading to disagreement and confrontation.
Ekemini, 25, was said to be a thorn in the flesh of his late father as
he had been threatening to deal with him if he did not meet up with
his financial demands. The source revealed that on several occasions,
the son had made away with fat sums of money belonging to the late
lecturerand warned him not to ever dare complain to anybody as it
would be disastrous for the lecturer.
The development led to the late professor hiding so many documents
from the son just as he never trusted the suspect with his bedroom key
nor allowed him access to his office keys. The sudden change in
character of Ekemini allegedly started when he was studying Economics
at a university in Lagos where he joined a cult group and was expelled
in year two while his brother, Odiong, did the same thing and was also
rusticated. The two sons, who are dropouts have been making frivolous
demands from the late Bassey even when they knew that he was not
financially strong.
Prof. Bassey, the source noted, was said to have complained to some of
his colleagues that his children were allegedly terrorizing and
intimidating him into borrowing money to meet their demands in most
cases and that was not going down well with him. Even at that, the two
suspects were not satisfied as they discreetly plotted to eliminate
their father, having learnt that he was about to collect his pension
running into millions of naira. Penultimate week, Ekemini and his
brother were said to have carried out their threat by allegedly
killing their father.
They dropped a big knife beside him to create an impression that the
professor committed suicide, out of frustration. However, luck ran out
on the susepcts when after snuffing life outof their father, hired an
ambulance to convey the corpse to Nsit Ubium, Akwa Ibom State
forburial, while Ekemini was arrested by the security agents, his
brother escaped. The security agents got wind of the murder through a
tip-off by neighbours at the university staff quarters where the
deceased lived and some staff of the Economics Department of the
university.
The neighbours had suspected a foul-play when they started noticing
unusual movement and arrival of ambulance at Prof'. Baasey's
residenceand decided to rally round students to find out what happened
just as they quickly alerted the school security for intervention.
Eyewitnesses said the students and neighbours broke into Bassey's
residence, only to find him lying in a pool of blood with a knife
beside him. Ekemini was said to have gone to his father's office in
the department and allegedly removed some vital documents to enable
him process the pension benefits even when one of 'Oga's' secretaries
tried to stop him, knowing that his late father could not have allowed
him access tohis office.
As at Press time, Ekemini was being interrogated at the State Criminal
Investigation Department (SCID) in Calabar, for his role in the
murder. In a telephone chat with the Deputy Vice-Chancellor,
Administration, Prof. Simon James Utsalo, over the death of Prof
Bassey, a retired lecturer in the Economics department, he said:
"Well, we cannot comment on the matter because it is a criminal case
and police are handling it, so, we are still awaiting the official
report. Besides, the autopsy report is not out; when it is out, we
will now know what killed him."
The officer-in-charge, Homicide unit, SCID, Mr.Joseph Inuyashi and the
state command's spokesman, Mr. John Umoh, told newsmen that they are
still investigating the incident just as they are still haunting for
one of the sons, Odiong, who is on the run. Police sources said that
Ekemini had allegedly confessed during interrogation that they stabbed
their father three times on different parts of the body and stuffed
his mouth with old newspapers so that he will not shout in the
process. Pleading not to be killed, he was said to have confessed that
they got some clues that their father who was teaching on contract
after his retirement was about to be paid benefits and gratuity of N45
million and decided to kill him so that the moneywould be paid to them
as the next of kin.
One of Ekemini brothers, who does not want his name in print, told our
reporter on phone: "I wasnot surprised that he killed our father
because he has been a bad son for a while even when our daddy tried
everything possible to manage him. "Ekeminin was sent to a university
in Lagos to study Economics and he went and joined cult and was
expelled in year two, while Odiong did the same thing. So, their
nefarious activities didnot start today and they have ended it up
killingour father. I urged the police to kill them because they will
still come out and do the worst," he alleged.
Pleading with the school authorities to look into their plight, he
said they are nine children and their father is the only breadwinner.
At the staff quarters where the late professor lived allthe while, the
residents are worried at such uglydevelopment, and urged the school to
beef up security as well as review allocation of quarters.Some of
Bassey's colleagues argued that students, which indeed are a security
threat, illegally occupy most of the houses at the staff village.
Daily Sun gathered that the body had since been deposited at the
mortuary while burial arrangements have not been released.
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