By Dr. West Ehiogie-Idahosa
[dropcap]O[/dropcap]n December 3rd, 2014. Prince Pere Ogei, my nephew, went to GTB, Akpakpava Street, Benin City to pick up some funds for my Senatorial primary election campaign. A few minutes after 1pm on that day, I spoke to him and he told me he was very close to my house.About 10 minutes after we spoke, we heard a staccato of gun shots at short intervals. My aides ventured outside the compound to find out the source of the gun shots and heard multiple cries from those who had gathered around a bullet-ridden Ford saloon car.
In there was Pere Ogei in a pool of blood and stone dead. With him was a police guard from the Special Protection Unit attached to me on request at the time. He too was dead.
Eye witnesses claimed that about four armed men arrived the scene of the robbery in an Audi 80 saloon car. They fired gun shots indiscriminately. They then killed Pere and the policeman before stealing the money in the trunk of the car.
The witnesses described the dress pattern of the evil men. One was said to have worn a white long sleeve shirt on a white trouser. Another wore a white round collar under-wear prototype T-shirt while the third person wore a sky blue short sleeve shirt.
At this time, confusion reigned high with many pointing accusing fingers at my challengers in the Senate primaries of PDP. Like many of my friends and supporters, I believed the story. Of course I could not finish my campaign properly due to the distress caused my family, especially my elder sister who had only Pere as her child.
The result of the primaries did not help matters. I came a close second, losing with about 20 or so delegates votes to the incumbent Senator for Edo South Senatorial District. More people began to say that it was a political murder. I believed and angrily quit PDP.
I started working closely with Edo State Police Command (SIB) to unravel this crime against humanity. I suggested to the police to demand for the CCTV clips of the Bank premises on that day. I became curious when the Bank was reluctant to make same available to the police.
Pressure was put on the Bank. It was only after about 9 to 10 weeks later that the Bank released it. We studied the CCTV clips closely and observed that some of the persons captured wore the same type of clothes that eye witnesses had described even in their statement to the police and without knowing about the CCTV clips. Even the Audi 80 car which was mentioned by witnesses was seen on the CCTV clips.
Upon this discovery, certain arrests were made. One of those arrested was Lucky Obasohan, who worked as the chief security officer of the said branch of GTB.
During investigations, it was found out that he wore a white long sleeve and white trouser on that day and left the bank premises in Audi 80 car about the time frame that the robbery took place. In addition, he did not return until well after the robbery.
He told the police that he accompanied Police ASP Curtis Omorhenrhun in search of a good restaurant to eat. He turned out to be a dismissed police officer who was dismissed after an orderly room trial by the Police for criminal activities.
The second person arrested was Friday Ajayi who was seen on the CCTV clips. He drove a car which appeared to be like Honda Accord into the bank premises on the said day.
He left the car there and was seen leaving the bank premises on foot at the same time that other members of the gang left the bank in an Audi 80 car within the time frame of the robbery.
He was wearing a white under-wear T-shirt. He was a security officer attached to another branch of GTB (Ikpoba Hill), which was about 5 kilometers from the branch where my nephew had gone to collect cash.
He told the police that he came to that branch of the bank to use the ATM machine and that he Left his car at car park in order to trek to buy noodles about one kilometer from the car. He had close working relationship with Friday Obasohan.
The third person arrested was Police ASP Curtis Omorherhun. He was seen in the video clip wearing sky blue short sleeve shirt. He was attached to Delta State Police Command and was brought into the bank premises by the Audi 80 car together with two other persons.
He came from Asaba to Benin. From the clip, he had no business with the bank and was seen several times talking to the police escort who accompanied Pere to the bank. Apparently, they knew each other very well.
He spent most of his time at the security post in company of the other suspects until they all left the bank in the same Audi 80 car, including Lucky Obasohan, the so called chief security officer of the bank.
Minutes later, Pere left the bank premises with the money he picked up and was ambushed along Aikhionbare Street, GRA, Benin. He was robbed and killed about 100 meters to his house.
The case was moved to FCIID in Abuja and the suspects worked hard to compromise it in connivance with the Homicide Department. The matter was thereafter moved to Federal SARS. The story remains the same.
The police have done everything to damage the available evidence due to the involvement of one of their own. They refused to conduct an identification parade even when witnesses said they could identify the suspects.
The police manipulated the investigation report in such a way that the suspects would have no case to answer. In the midst of pending criminal investigations, Police ASP Curtis Omorherhun was promoted to the rank of DSP while under investigations for robbery and murder.
Lucky Obasohan is believed to have remained in his post as the security officer for the said branch of GTB at public peril.
We have refused to surrender until Pere gets justice. We have petitioned the Presidency and Attorney-General’s Office but got no response. We would reach out to international human rights agencies and the Nigerian public for justice in a case of robbery and murder already solved by available evidence.
May the soul PRINCE PERE OGEI Rest In Peace, but may his spirit keep hunting the killers and those in authority trying to prevent justice until they do the needful. AMEN!
Dr. Ehiogie West-Idahosa is a Lawyer and former member of Nigeria’s House of Representatives (1999-2011).
