Delta Man Arrested After Cousin Dies in N1,000 Dispute

The Delta State Police Command has arrested a 47-year-old man, identified as Ezekiel, after he allegedly hit his cousin during a dispute over the refund of a N1,000 burial contribution, leading to the cousin’s death.

The command’s Public Relations Officer, Bright Edafe, disclosed this in an interrogation video shared on his Facebook page on Monday.

According to Edafe, the incident occurred on December 12 during a family gathering.

Edafe noted that the family had convened a meeting on the said date after returning from a burial, but an argument broke out during the meeting over the refund of N1,000 contributed by family members for burial rites.

Edafe narrated, “This young man was dragging and raining fire and brimstone, insisting that they must give him back his N1,000.

“In the process of dragging, he started fighting. Somewhere along the line, according to him, while he was trying to wriggle his way out of the fight, he used his hand to hit one of the brothers, a relative of his, who eventually died.

“Now, a N1,000 argument has led to the death of a family member. He was being cautioned, even by this very person who eventually passed away.

“The spirit that possessed him, according to him, would not allow him to listen to the voice of wisdom. The man who died is 42 years old.

Somebody has died just because of N1,000.”

Narrating his side of the incident, Ezekiel expressed remorse and claimed that the death of his cousin was accidental.

He admitted that several relatives, including the deceased, had pleaded with him to calm down. “It was by mistake. I didn’t know when I hit him,” he said.

The suspect added that the N1,000 that led to the dispute was a contribution he had made for the burial rites, which he expected would be refunded to him after the ceremony.

“After everything, they always share it. That’s how we return the money to the owner,” he stated.

Edafe used the tragic incident to urge the public to exercise emotional restraint, even in the face of minor provocations.

“Mine is to talk to our listeners to understand the importance of controlling your temper. You have to calm down. Any form of fighting could lead to death. It can turn into manslaughter. It could turn into murder.

“Please, as they say, a word is enough for the wise. Prevention is better than cure,” Edafe concluded.

This is not the first time a dispute over a small amount of money has resulted in death.

PUNCH reported in 2023 that one Ibrahim Dauda was arrested for allegedly killing his brother, Tunde, during a fight over N1,000 at their residence in the Igando area of Lagos State.

More recently, in September, the Anambra State Police Command arrested one Okwuchukwu Ezimuo for allegedly stabbing his relative to death over a family land dispute in the Idemili South Local Government Area of the state.