Apprentice Kills Boss Over Unpaid Wages in Delta State

A 26-year-old apprentice, Anwaji Moses, has confessed to murdering his employer, Victor Ochei, a 38-year-old owner of a palm oil milling business in Delta State. The disturbing incident was revealed by the Delta State Police Command spokesperson, Bright Edafe, in a video statement released on Monday.

According to Edafe, tension had been brewing between Moses and Ochei due to unpaid wages. Moses claimed his boss owed him between six to eight months’ salary, amounting to around ₦300,000. The conflict culminated in a deadly confrontation while they were on their way to purchase palm fruits for processing.

“He met his fate alongside his assistant when Moses, frustrated over unpaid salaries, struck him twice with a pestle,” Edafe explained. Moses admitted he had stopped working for Ochei but returned after his boss pleaded with him, promising daily allowances and excuses that he was “building a house.”

In an attempt to cover up the crime, Moses moved Ochei’s body, took his motorcycle and phone, and falsely informed the victim’s sister that he had been kidnapped, demanding ₦10 million ransom. The sister sent ₦300,000 before the truth surfaced.

The police have taken custody of the body, which will undergo autopsy to confirm the cause of death as investigations continue.