Labourer allegedly hacks 60-year-old farmer, dumps corpse inside forest

A labourer, whose real name has not been revealed, has reportedly murdered his employer, simply identified as Mrs Adelugba, for allegedly stealing kola nuts at a settlement in the Laoso camp in Ondo West Local Government Area of Ondo State. The suspect reportedly macheted the 60-year-old farmer, Mrs Adelugbe, to death inside the farm. The […]

A labourer, whose real name has not been revealed, has reportedly murdered his employer, simply identified as Mrs Adelugba, for allegedly stealing kola nuts at a settlement in the Laoso camp in Ondo West Local Government Area of Ondo State.

The suspect reportedly macheted the 60-year-old farmer, Mrs Adelugbe, to death inside the farm.

The incident occurred at the weekend, but sources told Daily Trust on Wednesday that the deceased had three farms being managed by the labourer before she was hacked.

One of the sources, who spoke in confidence, told our reporter that the woman had only one daughter, who currently resides with her husband in Abuja.

“The woman (Mrs Adelugba) recently completed her own house at Miracle Land, FFF, Ondo, and decided to hire a labourer who lived with her at Láòsò to assist with farm work.

“Last week, the labourer was caught stealing kola nuts from one of the farms without Mrs Adelugba’s permission.

“But when confronted, he (labourer) pleaded with her not to expose him because the tradition of the village dictates that anyone caught stealing would be banished,” he said.

He said the suspect promised to either pay for the stolen kola nuts or have the cost deducted from his wages at the end of the year, adding that the woman promised to accept his offer.

“But in a shocking turn of events, on Saturday, the labourer monitored the movement of Mrs Adelugba to her farm, attacked her with a machete, and killed her.

“He then covered her body with leaves and palm fronds before fleeing to the village. By Sunday, the suspect began confessing to his crime, claiming that the deceased had pressured him to own up to the theft,” the source added.

He explained that the suspect later led the villagers to the scene, where they recovered Adelugba’s corpse before it was deposited at the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital (UNIMEDTH)’s morgue.

A police officer, who did not want his name published, said the suspect had been transferred to the State Intelligence Bureau (SIB) in Akure for further investigation.

Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), confirmed the incident on Wednesday, saying investigation into the case is ongoing.