Killaboi: I stabbed Augusta by mistake during a fight

Benjamin Nnayerugo, known as Killaboi, told a Lagos State High Court on Thursday that he accidentally stabbed his girlfriend, Augusta Onuwaghagbe, in the stomach. This happened during a struggle for a steak knife at the J.I.C. Taylor Courthouse in Igbosere. Nnayerugo said the fight started after he insulted Augusta’s mother over messages he found on her phone.

Nnayerugo, who is on trial for the murder of the 21-year-old Lead City University student, explained to Justice Ibironke Harrison that Augusta threatened to stab him for insulting her mother. He claimed she had also stabbed him twice in the hands before he tried to take the knife from her.

He said the struggle ended with Augusta collapsing on the floor with a stab wound in her stomach. Nnayerugo shared this story while continuing his testimony under his lawyer, Marcel Oru, SAN.

Augusta was found dead in Nnayerugo's apartment at Oral Estate, Ajah, Lagos, on July 15, 2023. Nnayerugo was charged in November 2025 with two counts, which he pleaded not guilty to.

During the hearing on Thursday, Nnayerugo spoke about how their relationship fell apart after he found out Augusta was planning to meet another man for sex. He told the court this happened after he accessed her phone and confronted her about it. He said he told her their six-year relationship was over.

He also mentioned that he called Augusta’s mother to inform her about ending the relationship. He cut the call short when she asked why he went through her daughter's phone. While testifying on Thursday, Nnayerugo recalled a long phone call with Augusta on the night of July 11, 2025. They talked until the next morning, during which she said she was no longer interested in the relationship.

Feeling used, he started listing the money and gifts he had given her over the years. "I started listing out all I had done for her since she said she had checked out from the relationship," he told the court. He said he spent money on a trip to Seychelles in 2022, paid her school fees in January 2023, and spent about N20 million on gifts like diamonds, an iPhone, AirPods, and a private lounge for her birthday in February 2023.

Nnayerugo said he decided to get back the gifts after realizing she did not want to continue the relationship. "I told her I never wanted to see her again and that we should talk on the phone instead. But she said it had to be face-to-face," he said. He eventually agreed to meet Augusta at his place on July 12, 2025.

While waiting for her, he received a text from her mother. It said Augusta had known the man she was allegedly meeting for sex before dating him. Nnayerugo said he took this as a sign that her mother was supporting her actions, which shocked him because of the money he claimed to have spent on the family and her mother being a pastor.

When Augusta arrived, they smoked marijuana and later ate steak in his room. After eating, he became tired and lay on one of the beds. Augusta later joined him. "I stood up and went to the other bed in my room," he explained, saying he did not want to cuddle with her.

Nnayerugo then tried to check Augusta’s WhatsApp messages but found she had changed her password. He returned her phone and went back to bed before heading downstairs to play a video game. He said that the next morning, he was still determined to access her messages.

He pretended to cough and asked Augusta to get him water from the refrigerator. When she turned away, he snatched her phone. Augusta rushed at him, demanding her phone back. He used one hand to check the phone while pushing her away with the other.

Nnayerugo claimed he saw messages where Augusta's mother advised her on how to handle the situation with him. He also claimed there was a message from her mother suggesting she leave him because he could not handle her. This made him angry, and he insulted Augusta’s mother, calling her a fake pastor.

This angered Augusta, who grabbed a steak knife and threatened to stab him if he did not return her phone. "She stabbed me twice on both hands as a result, but I still refused to release the phone," he said. He insisted he had bought the phone and other gifts for Augusta and demanded them back. He said she then threatened to stab him in the chest, which led him to try to take the knife from her.

Nnayerugo described how they struggled over the knife for about 10 minutes. "We dragged the knife for about 10 minutes. She was holding on to the handle while I held the tip," he said. He eventually managed to grab the handle, but Augusta was injured during the struggle and fell to the floor.

"It was then my eyes cleared. Blood came out from her stomach and her mouth," he said. He tried to help her by removing the knife and using a towel to cover the wound. "I told her not to die and that I won’t break up with her again," he told the court.

Nnayerugo’s trial began after he was extradited to Nigeria following his arrest in Doha, Qatar. He had been on the run for about two years. After hearing his testimony, Justice Harrison adjourned the case until December 7 and 8, 2026, for the trial to continue.