By MIKE OSAROGIAGBON
BENIN CITY – Three cousins, each said to be first son of their respective parents have been found dead shortly after they left a birthday party in Benin City, Edo State of Nigeria.
The three cousins were identified as Michael Osula, Igie Edosomwan and Kelvin Idemudia, aged between 18 and 20.
A girlfriend to another member of their family celebrated her birthday at an event center opposite Ogida Police barracks, Ogida, Benin City on Sunday February 25, 2018.
The trio with others were said to have stayed behind when the ceremony ended at about 8pm.
They were alleged to have been drunk before leaving the venue at about 11:30pm only to be confirmed dead few minutes later by doctors at an hospital they were rushed to.
Mother of one of the deceased, Mrs Comfort Edosomwan alleged that her only son Igie, 18 was about to eat when one Larry came and took him away about at 4pm on that fateful day.
She alleged that the incident was a case of ritual and appealed for discreet investigation.
Mrs. Edosomwan further stated that one of the suspects, now in police custody who recently returned from Ghana masterminded the ritual.
She said her son was preparing to write the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) examination when the unthinkable occurred.
It was also gathered that a woman whose only child was involved went into comma on hearing the tragedy.
Though police have begun investigation to unravel the actual cause of death, more suspicions and allegations have continued to trail the sad incident.
Commenting on their ongoing investigation, the Public Relations Officer for Edo Police Command, DSP Chidi Nwabuzor stated that some suspects were being interrogated.
He said preliminary investigation revealed that the deceased cousins died of accident occasioned by dangerous driving.
DSP Nwabuzor explained that the deceased who were heavily drunk sat on the booth of a Passat car driven by one of their family members.
He added that the three cousins fell off the booth and died when the driver dangerously turned at Sikuko road round-about or rotary by Textile mill road junction.
The Passat driver, other occupants of the vehicle with another man said to have returned from Dubai who equally drove in his vehicle along with them having attended the birthday party together, rushed the victims to Central Hospital, Benin City, where they were pronounced dead that night.
Investigation revealed that those in police net included the driver of the Passat car that conveyed the deceased, driver of the other vehicle, another cousin of the driver who was with the man from Dubai and a boy said to have survived the accident.
The four suspects were seen given their statements at the homicide unit of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), police command headquarters, Benin City at about 3pm on Wednesday.
