Confession of 21-year-old who stabbed his father to death in Enugu for advising him to quit cultism

When Pastor Simeon Obelue called his 21-year-old son Chidubem Obelue and advised him to renounce his membership of a cult group, little did he know that it would lead to his untimely death.

The 59-year-old cleric was until his tragic death, the parish pastor of Christ Holy Church a.k.a “Odozi Obodo” in Iwolla-oghi town, Ezeagu Local Government Area, Enugu State.Like every good father, Simeon had advised his son to renounce his membership of a cult group. 

Chidubem did not take kindly to the advice, and in anger packed out of the father’s house in the church premises on December 4, 2016 and relocated a house he rented for himself. This effectively set him free from attending the church. Apparently, he also began planning to attack his father.

The Enugu State Commissioner of Police, Mr Mohammed Danmallam, who confirmed the incident toldSunday Sun that on March 11, 2017, about 1.00am, Chidubem sneaked into the family house and passed through the kitchen, where he picked up a knife and laid an ambush for the father.

When the unsuspecting man came out to urinate, Chidubem pounced on him. He stabbed the father in the stomach and ran out of the house.

The loud scream of the mortally injured man drew that attention of his wife, who rushed out and beheld Chidubem running away from the stricken man.

She ran after him and raised the alarmed, which woke up neighbours. In the haste to escape, the suspect’s cellphone fell from his pocket.

The cellphone as well as the sounds made by his feet assisted the neighbours to track Chidubem down and arrest him.

The case was immediately reported to the police station at Iwolla-Oghi town. Meanwhile, other concerned neighbours rushed Simeon to Neke-Oghe Health Centre, where he was admitted and treated for one day before being transferred to Unity Hospital, a bigger health facility where he eventually died on March 14, 2017.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police, in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Enugu Police Command, Mr. Ishola Abdullahi disclosed that detectives from the homicide section recovered the knife allegedly used by the suspect.

At the SCID headquarters where he is being held while investigation is ongoing, Chidubem spoke with Sunday Sun. He confessed to the crime and made a revelation:

"My father told me to renounce my membership of a cult group. I accepted to do so. I joined the cult when I was in JSS 3 at CPS Secondary School in Imo State. In 2013, I went to meet our cult leader and told him that I want leave the cult. I was told to bring two cartons of beer and N5,000, which I did. I stopped attending their meetings. But they started threatening me, saying that I must not renounce my membership."

Chidubem who hails from Oyi Local Government Area, Anambra State said further that he continued to be pressured by the cult until he killed his father.

"I have regretted my action by killing my father because he advised me to renounce my membership of the cult. I stopped attending my father’s church because he was preaching to me to repent."

During a visit to Iwolla-Oghi town, Sunday Sun reporter spoke with a member of the church, Paul Chukwu, who said:

"The entire congregation was shocked that the son of the pastor was a cultist. Chidubem stopped coming to the church for a long time. We didn’t know that Pastor Simeon Obelue had a misunderstanding with his son. We cannot believe that our pastor is dead." - The Sun