By Nchetachi Chukwuajah
A 47-year-old man, identified simply as Ezekiel, has allegedly killed his first cousin during an altercation at a family gathering over the refund of N1,000 burial contribution.
The incident was confirmed by the spokesperson for the Delta State Police Command, Bright Edafe, in a video shared on X on Monday, December 22.
Edafe said the incident occurred on December 12 in Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state.
According to him, the family had recently returned from the burial of a relative and convened a meeting, adding that the meeting turned sour when a dispute broke out regarding a N1,000 contribution refund.
The police spokesperson said, “This young man was dragging and bringing all the fire and brimstone 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, N1,000 argument has led to the death of a family member. He was being cautioned even by this very guy who eventually passed.
“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.”
Ezekiel expressed remorse and claimed that the death 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.
He explained that the N1,000 in question was a contribution made for the burial rites, which is traditionally refunded to the owner after the ceremony.
He said, “After everything, they always shared it. That’s how we return the money to the owner.”
Edafe further urged the public to exercise emotional restraint even in the face of minor provocations.
