By Okhide Em’ya David
Edo State Police Command has called for calm amongst all parties in the alleged murder of one Mr. Matthew Ojie Akioyamen on December 1, 2020 at the Okomu extension two Farm, Uhunwmode Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria.
While commenting on the agitations by relatives of the deceased, the Public Relations Officer of the State Police Command, Superintendent Chidi Nwwngbuzor said the Police on receiving the report of the alleged murder of their “bread Winner” swung into action and arrested seven Persons.
SP Chidi Nwanbuzor said preliminary investigation revealed that a principal witness right at the Farm (a worker) made a circumstantial evidence in writing stating that two persons were highly suspected of committing the crime and that they were immediately apprehended and transferred to the Homicide section of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Police Command.
He said contrary to claims “that the case was being swept under the carpet in some quarters, the Police they will not live any stone unturned to unravel the circumstances surrounding the gruesome murder at broad day, assuring that the full wrath of the law must be visited on any one found culpable, to act as deterrence to others .
It would be recalled that Wife of the late Matthew Akioyamen, Mrs. Osaiyobomwen Uwuigbe Akioyamen, on Thursday, called on the Inspector General of Police, Muhammad Adamu and the Edo State government to wade into the matter and bring her husband’s killer to book.
Mrs. Akioyamen at a press Conference said her husband left the house on that fateful day to his place of work and never returned home.
She told Journalists that “on the 1st of December, 2020, my husband called me to wish me happy new month and he told me that he was already at the Farm to supervise the people he was using to work.”
Her words: “So, he told me that if he leaves that place, network will disappear from his phone and that he was already closed to the place.”
She said “on the 2nd of December 2020, my brother-in-law, Mr. Ehigie Akioyamen called me, to find out the whereabouts of my husband as he did not return to the estate after work that day and he wants to find out from me if he came to Benin.”
“I told him that anytime he is coming to Benin, he first of all call me that he is coming even if it is weekend.
“I also wondered aloud and asked besides, he just left today and why will he come back today again because he doesn’t have anything to do in Benin and that they should ask them there.
“He called them again and they were still saying the same thing.
“At about 9 PM the next day, they called me from Okomu that they have found his dead body in the bush where he went to work inside the Okomu yard that he was brutally murdered.
“I told them that it was already late,” she narrated.
The young widow who is now left with three little children, with the oldest at age 5 and the youngest, 4 months, told newsmen that further compounding her woes, was that the remains of her husband were not even shown to the family before he was allegedly deposited at the morgue by the management of the Company where he works.
She said when her brother-in-law got to the mortuary, he was however able to identify him.
She pleaded with the Inspector General of Police and the Edo State government to bring the murderers to book, noting that before his death, he was the breadwinner of the family.
Meanwhile, Human Assets Centre Ltd, a labour contractor to Okomu Oil Palm Company Plc, told this reporter after a probe that its attention was during the week drawn to disturbing posts in a section of the media, apparently instigated by the wife of one Mr. Mathew Akioyamen, who was, unfortunately, recently killed while at work by unknown assailants.
The Administrative Manager of Human Assets Centre Ltd, Mr. Chris Osugo said while the death of their staff was a devastating blow, not only to his family and colleagues, they feel that the company need to put the record straight and to correct the misinformation currently being circulated in the media
Osugo said late Akioyamen was not an employee of Okomu Oil Palm Company Plc, as alleged, but was an employee of Human Assets Centre Ltd, a labour contracting Firm to the Oil Palm Company Plc.
He said “the police from Ehor Divisional Headquarters were promptly informed of the death of Mr Akioyamen and they (the Police) were picked up by the Security Company on the morning of the 3rd December 2020 and immediately they commenced investigations into the murder.”
He said the Police thereafter ordered the Company to deposit his corpse at the mortuary pending the completion of the investigation.
He said they complied with the directive and the timeliness with which the directive was enforced was largely due to the cooperation of Okomu Oil Palm Company, who promptly availed them of their Hearse on request .
The Spokesperson of Human Assets Centre Ltd disclosed that at the directive of the Ehor Divisional Police Headquarters the case was moved to the State CID and a renowned pathologist was contacted by the Firm to perform an autopsy on the deceased, and this was made known to his family adding that the autopsy was scheduled for Tuesday 12th January 2020
He remarked that owing to the fact that “this is a criminal case, the Police are the only ones that are empowered to give a comprehensive report of their investigations into the murder, and not Human Assets Centre Ltd, or Okomu Oil Palm Company Plc” adding that the Police have even picked up a number of suspects in connection with the murder”.
He said: “It is a well-known fact that the late Mr Akioyamen’sWife was aware of all Police activities pertaining to the investigations by the Police in regard to her Husband’s murder.”
Mr. Chris Osugo also observed that “being a legally constituted company, Human Assets Centre Ltd has already informed the National Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) of the untimely death of Mr Akioyanem on the 14th December 2020, as required by law.”
He said NSITF has also sent a delegation to meet with Mr. Akioyamen’s Wife and family, an event which held on the December 18, 2020.
He disclosed that on hearing of the demise of Mr. Akioyamen, a delegation from both Human Assets Centre Ltd and the Okomu Oil palm Company Plc visited Mrs. wife and family personally at their home in Uselu to pass on their condolences on December 18, 2020.
He said “a brother to the deceased Mr Ehigie Akioyamen and Mrs Akioyamen, along with a brother to the wife and an elderly unnamed woman and another man, amongst others were at the condolence Visit.”
A brother to late Akioyamen (who also has a similar contracting company working with Okomu Oil palm Company Plc) was also present and witnessed all proceedings at that meeting by the delegation, he said.
He disclosed that Human Assets Ltd has also contacted their Group life Insurance Policy Managers about Mr. Akioyamen’s untimely death in order for them to initiate processing of papers for compensation for the survivors once the Police have concluded their investigations.
Mr Chris Osugo said “the fact that Mrs Akioyamen was aware of all of these investigations and could still make such allegations is disturbing when seen in the context of her video, and to be honest, it smacks of mischievousness on her part especially as the parties involved have all documentations in regards to the transactions.”
He said “they will be taking legal advice with regards to the untruths emanating from the video.”
Osugo told newsmen that whilst they “acknowledged the trauma of the painful exit of the deceased to the Survivors,” they strongly oppose the use of emotions as an excuse to overwhelm one’s sense of judgement.
He says they sympathized and grieve with the bereaved as Mr Mathew Akioyamen was their staff, very valuable to them and prayed God in his infinite mercies to give his family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss as well as fill the vacuum that would naturally arise from his demise.
As at the time of filling this report, another report which reached this reporter was that whereas all the Parties (Human Assets Centre Ltd and Mr Mathew Akioyamens family) collectively agreed for the Autopsy to be done on the January 12, 2021, the family of the deceased declined to show up.
The report said hours after declining, they called and asked the Company to tell the Doctor to fix another date.
The Pathologist consulted his diaries and every one agreed to carry out the exercise on14th January, 2021 by 8.30a-9am.
The report says all other parties were present on that day including the Pathologist and two other Medical Doctors, a Video cameraman, Investigating Police Officer in charge of the case, but Representatives of the deceased family declined attendance.
We intend and dutifully promise to follow this case to a conclusive end.
