Fake naval officer murders 19-year-old boy, says it’s fueled by anger

By Chioma Joseph

Felix Ezike, the 27-year-old fake Naval Rating, being detained at the State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID), Yaba, Lagos, for stabbing a 19-year-old boy, Deji Animashaun to death, has said anger triggered his action. 

Ezike, who until his arrest was always clad in military camouflage, had been impersonating a naval personnel at Ikotun and Isherin-Osun areas of Lagos for five years, and was feared by residents of the area. 

He claimed he bought the camouflage and the jackknife used in stabbing the deceased from a soldier friend in Ojo area.

It was gathered that the suspect was invited on three occasions by the parent of the deceased to their home on Rasheed Bello Street, Egbe in Ikotun, to discipline the youngster, notorious for stealing, and gambling. 

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According to Ezike, an indigene of Umuahia in Abia state, it was on the third invite that they had an altercation. He said that Deji first stabbed him with an iron on his hand and right eye, which caused him to retaliate. 

In his narration, Ezike said he stabbed Deji on the hand and lap, which resulted in terrible loss of blood, and his untimely demise.

He said: “A friend of the family first contacted me to come deal with Deji military style. His father, Mr. Dada Animashaun also called me. They complained that he was stubborn, and that though he was a trained upholstery designer, he often collected mony from people without rendering the service they paid for. 

“I visited their house in Lagos on his parents invite twice, specifically to discipline him, but met his absence on those occasion. It was on a third visit that I met him, I dealt with him using horsewhip and slap. He adjusted after the beating. Shortly after, I was called again that he had started with his trouble. This time, I flogged him for a while, and then engaged him in a heart to heart discussion. 

“I advised him to get serious with his life, and he told me that day he would want to join the military. I encouraged him to join the Air force, because the form was out then. I told Deji’s parents about his intention and that I will help him fill the form and facilitate his recruitment for ₦10,000. The money was paid, I took him to Ojo barracks in Lagos, where we downloaded the form, and filled it. He took the printout home and we were waiting for when shortlisted names will be released. I was shocked when his father called me that Deji had started again. 

“This time, he told me Deji had stolen a phone and the owner was threatening to arrest the family if his phone was not returned.  The father also told me that Deji had said he was no longer interested in joining the Air force. I asked them to alert me whenever he was home. His parent asked if I could come pass the night at their house so that I will get him once he comes home.”

He continued, saying: “The day I went there to pass the night, Deji came home, saw me and fled. Another day, his parent called me that they got news he was at his former place of work, and we went there but was told he had left after they did not allow him in because his mother had told them not to. We went back to their home, we waited and kept calling people who knew him if they had seen him, it was shortly after that we were called that he was sighted at his former place of work again. His father immediately went there and succeeded in bringing him home, where I was still waiting. 

“His father handed him over to me to deal with him, his father and mother also stepped out of the house. I chose to engage him in a discussion, but he was being too heady so I had to use horse whip on him. He became more violent, picked a scissor and stabbed me on the head and close to my eye. Seeing he had injured me, I got very angry. I lost self-control, brought out my jackknife and stabbed him on his hand and lap. 

“He was bleeding seriously and out of fear, i had to start calling his parent so that we could take him to the hospital, but they did not respond to my calls. When I noticed he was losing consciousness, I had to carry him by the shoulder to a hospital. At the hospital, I told the doctor Deji was military personnel. However, it was too late, as he was confirmed dead at the hospital. I then started calling his parents again, who later picked and I narrated all that had happened to them. The father came to the hospital, and requested the corpse be released to him.”

The suspect said it was the doctor that ordered the father of the deceased to get a police report before the remains of his son can be released to him. 

“It was at Ikotun police division in Lagos, where the father went to get the police report that he was asked to narrate what happened. When the policemen heard the story, they escorted him to the hospital where I was still waiting and arrested me. I regret my action; it feels like I killed my own brother. I really feel bad,” he added. 

Daily Times reports that the suspect will soon be charged to court for prosecution.