Simon Ebegbulem
15 May 2008
Lagos — TRAGEDY struck last Monday in Imianaba village, Okpilla, in Edo state when suspected political thugs invaded the village and shot three persons dead.
Three others sustained gun shot injuries. This followed the refusal of the family of a woman who died recently in Abuja, to allow her widower to bury her without explaining to the family the cause of her death.
Vanguard learnt that trouble started when the seven year-old daughter of the deceased revealed to the family that it was actually the father that murdered the deceased wife in Abuja and not fire out brake as claimed by the deceased husband.
Following the revelation, the deceased's family insisted that their daughter must not be buried until the matter was investigated properly. In order to settle the matter amicably, the village head of Imianaba, Chief R. David invited the two parties to his palace.
To the chagrin of the widower and the traditional ruler, the seven year old daughter narrated how the father beat her mother to death and set her corpse ablaze to make it look like a fire incident.
He further alleged that her father equally dipped her right hand in the fire as a result of which she suffered burns and instructed her to tell the police that her mother died in a fire incident.
Surprisingly, after the disclosure, Vanguard learnt that hell was let lose when the traditional ruler still went ahead to order that the deceased be buried. An eyewitness told Vanguard that "on hearing this development, the maternal relations of the deceased from Afokpella stormed the palace of the Chief David in protest.
Suspected political thugs were said to have cashed in on the situation shooting one Mrs Omoaye Peters who died immediately. Three others - Mr Sunday Abu, Mrs Aishatu Obaze and Mr Obaze were also shot. An Afokpella boy who was standing behind them was hit and he died immediately," sources said.
In a petition addressed to the AIG zone 5 Benin, through the solicitors of the deceased family, Esemokhai and Co, made available to Vanguard, they accused the police in Okpella of alleged failure to effect arrest so far and appealed that the deaths be investigated seriously.
Contacted, the State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Peter Ogboi, confirmed the incident and said the state Police Commissioner, Chiris Dega had already ordered for serious investigation into the matter.
He added that "we have arrested four persons and we are still making more arrests." We want to assure all parties that justice will be done".
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