The case was brough to the Ebute-Metta Magistrates Court in Lagos State and the accused, Anthony Toms confessed and said he didn’t mean to kill his lover, Sonye Chukwudi.
The defendant was said to have arranged some other friends who assisted him in beating the older fellow to death.
Other defendants in the murder case are Godwin Francis, 25; Michael Iyang, 21; Evidence David, 23; and Etuk Tony. The incident happened on June 21, 2015 around 9:30pm at Ransom Kuti Garden, Anthony Village, Lagos.
Police has suggested that Tom had ordered his friends to tie up the victims hands and legs before beating him, during this Chukwudi lost consciousness and never recovered.
Police revealed that this was all due to Chukwudi owing just N600. The money was for garden flowers Toms sold to the deceased. Toms pleaded guilty to the count charges at the court.
Toms said: “I met Chukwudi a few years back. He lured me into homosexuality. I told him that I’m a gardener. He told me he would need me to get some flowers for him.’
“I did, but he didn’t balance me the remaining money, I repeatedly asked him, but he refused to pay me. I thought if I threatened him, he would pay me.
READ ALSO: Boko Haram Massacre
“I called him on the fateful day and asked him to meet me at Ikeja. We both headed to Anthony. On getting to our destination, I asked him for my money. He said he didn’t have money on him and then I called my friends.”
Tom further confessed that they discovered N4,750 on him, and a Symbian phone.
Toms said: “We noticed he had fainted and dragged him back to his car, We waited for a while, but he didn’t recover.’
“We took a second look at him and discovered that he was dead then we left him there.”
His fellow defendants all plead not guilty and said that Tom did not pay them for any service.
The case has been adjourned to July 31, 2015.
Homosexuality in Nigeria is illegal and could fetch gay men and women over 14 years in jail if convicted.
