I Planned Settling my Apprentice in December Before he Committed Suicide -Nnewi Bizman

By Praise Chinecherem

Managing Director of Otolo Cars, Chief Innocent Ulasi whose apprentice committed suicide recently has debunked the allegation that the boy took his own life because he refused to settle him.

The deceased, Chisom Ani from Enugu State, in his twenties, had committed suicide and allegedly left a suicidal note that he took his own life as a result of his master’s refusal to settle him.

Ulasi, popularly known as Angel Otolo, while reacting to the incident in Nnewi, Anambra State said there was an agreement between him and the go-between person who brought the late Chisom to him that the boy would be settled in December 2024 before the incident happened.

Ulasi said about a week after the meeting, he received a call from Emma, his manager who was living with late Chisom in Onitsha, his branch office, that the late Chisom had disappeared with his own belongings, leaving nothing.

Following Chisom’s disappearance, according to Chief Ulasi, he had to contact the go-between who asked him not to panic, that the boy’s whereabouts would be uncovered.

He said after some enquiries, it was gathered that late Chisom was in Asaba, adding that the go-between who got the late Chisom on phone said the deceased did not tell him where exactly he was in Asaba.

Ulasi further disclosed that he instructed the go-between who brought late Chisom to him to contact the deceased’s family to tell them that their son, Chisom was no longer living with him, even as he said that the agreement to settle him in December remained sacrosanct.

“I was surprised one day when I was called that late Chisom drank poison that I should come to one hospital in Asaba. I refused because they sent a lady’s number which I gathered was his Sugar Mummy with whom he left my house to stay with.

“I sent my brother to Asaba because I was on my way to Calabar that day. My brother revealed that late Chisom was at the ICU of the hospital.

“Chisom was already dead at the time my brother got to the hospital. My brother called the police. When the policemen came, they took the lady that brought him to the hospital for her statement, “he said.

Ulasi said he has been doing charity all his life which he said earned him the name “Angel Otolo” by his people.

He disclosed that he had paid school fees for over 224 students in Nnewi High School who he said he considered indigent, built houses for the less privileged in Nnewi.

He noted that he could not be doing all those things to help people and then refuse to settle someone he had already promised to settle this December.

He further said he was once an apprentice who served one Mr Arinze from Abubor Nnewichi, Nnewi for nine years, from 1990 to 1999, and was settled with the sum of N20,000.

“I was grateful to receive the money because settlement is like giving certificate after school. Settling Chisom was never a problem. If I could build houses for people, pay school fees for over 224 students with the sum of N1.122 million. How much is that settlement which I couldn’t afford, “he queried.

Chief Ulasi said that he raised suspicion when the lady in question allegedly gave Chisom’s brother money for an ambulance to take the body of late Chisom home for burial without autopsy.

He added that something must be wrong somewhere, saying that even the blind could see that.

According to him, someone wanted to drag his name to the mud which took him many years to build. He assured that he would not fold his hands to allow that happen.

“If you want to know how I treat people who serve me, kindly go to Onitsha, you will get all the information you need.

“Chisom lived with me for close to seven years but he didn’t commit suicide, he left, after three months he committed suicide, this leaves much to be desired.

“I strongly suspect that someone dropped the suicide note, “he said.

Ulasi said that late Chisom was into so many unhealthy practices like taking hard drugs, betting which he (Ulasi) was unaware of, adding it was in the cause of an investigation that these things were revealed.