Nigerian human rights defender and anti-death penalty advocate killed by his 17-year-old son over money in Edo

The Edo State Police Command has arrested a teenage boy, Arthur Angel Jr. for allegedly k!lling his 70-year-old father, Arthur Judah Angel over money in Ugboha, in Esan South East Local Government Area of the state.

Arthur Judah Angel, an Anti-death penalty advocate and human rights defender, was k!lled on Sunday, July 14, 2024, and buried in a shallow grave behind his house. 

According to punch, Angel, who was sentenced to death in 1986 for a crime he said he did not commit, used his foundation, Life Wire International Foundation, to fight for the use of the death penalty in the country.

He travelled to over 15 countries to speak out against the death penalty through his art exhibitions and drawings.

The Spokesman for the Command, Chidi Nwabuzor, who confirmed the incident in a statement on Wednesday, July 17, said that a preliminary investigation revealed that the deceased’s son had threatened to k!ll his father before he hit him with a sledgehammer

“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 that one Arthur Angel Jr. (17 years) brought a complaint of a shallow grave discovery at the backyard of the compound where he lived with the deceased,” the statement read. 

“Immediately, the DPO mobilized his men and they moved out to the scene. On getting there, they saw a shallow grave and decided to exhume the body

“When the body was exhumed, they discovered that it was the lifeless body of Arthur Angel, 70, and at a close look, they saw a sharp injury on the back of the deceased head, and the body was taken to Uromi Hospital mortuary.”

“According to the DPO, preliminary investigation revealed that Arthur Angel Jr. had severally threatened to kill his father on the ground that his father was expecting some money from Amnesty International.

“The suspect had a feeling that the money had been paid to the deceased and decided to use the sledgehammer to hit him behind the head while he was asleep

“As we speak, the suspect has been successfully transferred from Ugboha to the homicide section of the Edo State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation,” the PPRO added. 

Angel’s cousin, Michael Ihaza on Tuesday, confirmed the assassination of his uncle to the publication. 

“I cannot really say if he had a problem with anyone. He won several cases over family land but I really don’t know if that brought issues between him and anyone,” Ihaza said. 

“He never reported any threat to his life to me. However, his 15-year-old son who reported the case to the police in Ugboha has been taken into custody for questioning but I don’t think he has a hand in his father’s death

“His son was arrested the same day he was k!lled. The narrative that is making the round within the police circle and in town is that the boy is also a suspect

“My late uncle fought for humanity in his lifetime. How worked on prison reform and he was a gentleman. I never heard that he had a problem with anyone

“The police say they are investigating the matter so we don’t want to say anything that will jeopardize the investigation. Hopefully, the culprit will be identified and brought to justice,” he added.