A 20-year-old man that killed his gay partner has told an Ebute-Metta Magistrates Court in Lagos State that he recruited the help of four men to assist him in beating his male lover because he refused to pay a N600 debt owed him.
The defendant, Anthony Toms, said it was not his intention to beat his 32-year-old lover, Sonye Chukwudi, 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.
Investigators said Toms initiated the murder of Chukwudi by ordering his friends to tie his hands and legs and then proceeded to beat him. Chukwudi lost consciousness and never recovered.
Police said Toms killed Chukwudi because he refused to pay him N600 he owed him. 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 homosexualism."
"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.
"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.
"I called my friends."
Toms said his four friends assisted him in tying up his lover.
They tied his hands and legs.
The idea was to beat him up and collect any money found on him.
They did and found N4,750 on him.
They also found 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.
"We abandoned him.
"Police later came to arrest us.
"We didn't know how the police got information that we killed him."
Toms's cronies all denied knowing the late Chukwudi.
They explained that they had never set eyes on the deceased until the day Toms came to them seeking for their help.
They confessed that Toms told them that he needed their help in dealing with the deceased.
Toms also told them that Chukwudi refused to pay for services rendered.
The case has been adjourned to July 31, 2015.
