How mystery and two other domestic staff m√rdered Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia’s Daughter
Fresh details have emerged regarding the murder of Aribemchukwu, daughter of Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia, who was killed in her apartment on Bembe Street, Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos, on Tuesday night.
The new information follows the confession of one of her domestic staff, 21-year-old Peter Abigiel, who was arrested with two others: Olatunji Oluwasegun, 35, and Umaru Mamman, 45, by the Police.
Saturday Vanguard learned that Abigiel, a maid, confessed during interrogation that the victim, a Medical Doctor popularly called Chuchu, was gagged and stabbed in the neck. Chuchu, in her early 30s and the eldest of two children, lived alone with her domestic staff.
Abigiel revealed to detectives that they murdered Chuchu to steal cash and other valuables. The late Chuchu’s body was initially found in front of her house around 6:45 am on Wednesday, July 31, 2024. Abigiel’s confession confirmed the family’s suspicion that Chuchu was killed inside her apartment and her body later dumped outside.
Following the arrests, the three suspects were held in separate cells and interrogated individually. While Oluwasegun and Mamman denied involvement in the murder, Abigiel admitted her role during her interrogation and implicated the others. She stated that they had tied Chuchu’s neck with a cloth, and as she struggled, one of them gagged her and stabbed her in the neck.
Abigiel said their initial plan was to leave Chuchu unconscious and escape with the valuables. Upon discovering she was dead, Oluwasegun and Mamman dragged her body outside under cover of darkness and cleaned the blood from the apartment before fleeing after ransacking the room.
Lagos State Police Commissioner CP Adegoke Fayoade commented on the incident, stating that detectives traced improperly cleaned blood to the crime scene. He said, “The driver tried to deny, but the maid insisted they did it together. Signs of an attempt to clean up blood inside the house and in the compound were evident. Additionally, they were found in possession of the deceased’s valuables they attempted to escape with.”