Tragedy as 18-Year-Old Apprentice Kills Master With Pestle
- An 18-year-old apprentice allegedly killed his master during a heated argument in Onitsha
- The victim, Iyke, was attacked with a pestle after confronting the apprentice about pilfering and drug use
- Police have arrested the suspect and recovered the weapon used in the incident
Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 8 years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues
Onitsha, Anambra State - An 18-year-old apprentice, simply identified as Chiemerie, has been arrested for killing his master, Iyke, with a pestle during an altercation at Fegge in Onitsha, Anambra State.
The tragic incident occurred on Sunday, February 15, 2026, in the commercial city.
The apprentice allegedly attacked his master when his boss scolded him over his attitude of pilfering money and taking drugs.
As reported by The Punch, eyewitnesses said the deceased was a businessman operating at the popular Ogbo-Ogwu Bridgehead Medicine Market in Onitsha.
“The 18-year-old boy from Ebonyi State picked a mortar pestle from the kitchen and hit his master on the head during an altercation on Sunday evening.
“The incident shook the residents of the entire area. The victim, identified simply as Iyke, was rushed to the hospital, but could not survive the situation.
“The victim was a trader at Ogbo Ogwu Market, one of the city’s major trading hubs.”
The state police spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the suspect has been arrested and the pestle recovered.
Ikenga disclosed this when he was contacted on Monday, February 16, 2026.
“The boss scolded the suspect for his behaviour of pilfering money in the shop, taking drugs, and coming back late at night.
“It resulted into altercation and the situation escalated, resulting in the suspect using a pestle from the kitchen to hit his boss on the head.”
The apprentice killed himself after being accused of stealing
Recall that the police in Lagos confirmed the death of a 17-year-old boy, Ojibe Chibueze, who reportedly killed himself after being accused of stealing N100,000.
Chibueze's sister, identified as Cynthia, was said to have reported the case at the police station in Ajah after finding his brother's body at the Ojibo bus stop in the Epe area of Lagos.
According to Cynthia, his brother returned from work on Tuesday, took some money, and went out until she received a call that his body was found at the bus stop with Snipper beside him.
Exploring the Igbo apprenticeship system
Legit.ng also reported that the Igbo of Eastern Nigeria have a cultural practice that is unique to them. This culture is called apprenticeship or 'boy boy' in local parlance.
It is a system in which young persons who aspire to go into business learn under the tutelage of an already established master.
Before the apprentice goes to live and work under the master, there is usually a written agreement specifying the terms of service, including the agreed number of years. After this number of years, the master is expected to provide seed capital with which the trainee kicks-starts his own business.
Source: Legit.ng
