SPECIAL REPORT BY MIKE OSAROGIAGBON
Benin City, Nigeria – About three weeks after two alleged suicides were reported to Edo Police Command, more facts have emerged that might provide more clues for crime investigators.
The alleged incidents include that of Mr. Efene Eric Oyakhilomen, 40 and Mrs. Cynthia Agho, 27.
Poised to find out more about the incidents, Alltimepost.com Correspondent, in synergy with the office of the Public Relations Officer, Edo State Police Command Headquarters, Benin City contacted the two persons who reported the alleged suicides.
First was Mrs. Rita Enemare who reported at Ugbor Divisional Police Headquarters on July 16, 2022, that she returned home from her shop to meet her husband Mr. Efene Eric Oyakhilomen lying flat on his stomach with foam in his mouth and was later confirmed dead in a hospital.
Second was Mr. Festus Agho who alleged that his son in-law Mr. Emmanuel Umoru, 45 murdered his pregnant daughter Cynthia Agho, hanged her corpse to feign suicide.
The first complainant, Rita Enemare, 33, mother of her late husband’s two-year-old boy expressed shock over the death of her spouse.
Mrs. Rita Enemare explained that she met her late spouse in 2018 when he returned from Kenya in Eastern Africa, and they married in 2019.
In her account, Mr. Eric Efene Oyakhilomen has never exhibited a sign of a would-be suicide victim since they have been together and even before she left for her shop that fateful day.
She explained that though he was the quite type, he became exceptionally calm since he returned from Benin Republic over a month ago.
Her account: “On Friday July 15th, 2022, between 7:30am and 8:00am I left home for my shop leaving my husband Mr. Efene Eric Oyakhilomen at home.
“As I was leaving with my son, he said goodbye and that I should buy petrol for our generator when returning. I said OK, then I left.
“While at the shop, about 12noon when I finished arranging the shop, I saw a WhatsApp missed calls from my husband eldest sister in America her name is Edith Efene. I also saw her message which she asked about my baby’s health condition because I earlier told her my baby was not feeling fine.
“About 1pm, she called again and said where are you? I said I am in my shop. She said where is Oyas? (that’s my husband). I said he is at home. She said why did you not carry him along to the shop? I said he does not come to the shop with me anymore. She said ok!
“Then, she said Rita, Rita, Rita call uncle Raymond right now, text uncle Raymond your house address as we speak. She repeated it like three times. I said ok ma.
“Then, she said tell Uncle Raymond to go to the house to talk to Oyas that they are looking for a job for him in Lagos. Then she said Rita, if Oyas is good tomorrow you will be good as well. I smiled and said yes ma. We ended the call,” Rita Enemare narrated.
On the possible actions she took after the conversation, Rita Enemare stated that “I could not call uncle Raymond because the screen of the phone which I stored Uncle Raymond number is blank.
“I felt it was a normal thing, so I planned to collect the number from my husband or tell him what his sister said when I get back home in the evening.
“About 7:20pm, I closed my shop and went to get petrol from a filling station at Sapele road, so before I got home it was past 8pm.
“When I got home I told my gate man (Abel) to help me take the patrol upstairs because we are the only one using the staircase. My gate man helped me to take the 10 litres fuel upstairs and came downstairs.
“Then I climbed the upstairs, there was no electricity supply to the neighbourhood, so everywhere was dark. Usually, when we enter like that my husband will on his torchlight so that we can climb the stairs, this time, there was nothing like that. I thought he went out, so, I and my son just managed to get inside the house.
“Inside the room I saw him lying flat on his tummy on the bed, I was thinking he was trying to engage in his usual play with us. I tapped him, called his name Oyas! Oyas! Immediately I switched on the torch in my phone, I raised his head, I saw foam coming out from his mouth, I started shouting calling the gate man Abel, Abel, then I ran downstairs to call two of my neighbours who followed me upstairs.
“As we were taking him downstairs to be rushed to hospital, I called her eldest sister Edith Efene and informed her.
“I called my friend Judith who lives close to my house, they joined me, we took him in our car to hospital where a doctor confirmed him dead.
“My husband family friend who was contacted joined us at the hospital, we went back to the house, by then electricity has been restored to the area. His family friend was on video call with my husband people abroad, so we entered his room, we saw Sniper (a deadly insecticide), Trophy beer and a cup close to the bed. Thereafter, I went to report at a police station. Police followed us to the house and went away with those items.
“His family is threatening my life claiming I killed their brother,” Rita Enemare stated.
When Alltimepost.com Correspondent called Edith Efene in New York, the United States of America to ascertain why she wanted uncle Raymond to see her late brother through her sister in-law, Rita Enemare at the nick of time, she said: “how did you get my number, call Christian, Call Christian, tell Rita to give you Christian number,” She hanged up the phone.
A WhatsApp voice message requesting her response to the question was yet to be replied at press time, today.
Meanwhile, three international and one national callers have contacted Alltimepost.com Correspondent about the call made to one Edith Efene in New York.
Among them is a male voice who identified himself as Emmanuel Efene from America.
“The reason I am calling is the call you made to my eldest sister, Edith, in New York. You wanted to know why she called Rita that day my brother died.
“Why is Rita lying? That was not the day my brother died. My sister tried reaching Oyas at least four days before the incident.
“First, is she a mortuary attendant? She does not have the right to take the corpse to hospital without the family members. She has never called any member of my family even till now, all she could do was to start packing things away from the house, who does that?
“If Rita is innocent, why has she become a talkative overnight? Anyway, I don’t know how she will end up,” Mr. Emmanuel concluded.
Another male voice who said he was calling from Abuja stated that he was the first person Oyas family contacted after the incident.
“I went to the house and hospital, like I told Precious (Rita Enemare) that for you to have lived with a man and the man commits suicide, it is a bad signal, it means you are not very encouraging. It means you have not done well when it comes to conduct.
“Because for now we do not have evidence to hold you that is why we have submitted his telephones to the police and that is why we have gone as far as autopsy.
“I also told Precious that Oyas earlier reported to his sister that since he returned from travel about two months ago, you do not talk with him, you do not allow him to touch you, you have been keeping malice with him and all of that.
“All these Precious denied and I told her denial is making us to suspect you the more. Oyakhilomen had earlier opted out of the marriage. A year after he went back to Precious.
“Oyakhilomen has been alone, he does not have a family member who knows his house because of Precious, nobody goes to visit Oyakhilomen. Because of Oyakhilomen’s complaints Edith advised him to move out of the house that he cannot stay there.
“For now, I don’t know why she is towing that storyline that Edith called her at the last minutes,” he maintained.
Others who called in respect of the call made to Edith Efene vowed a serious consequence should Alltimepost.com publish any story on the suspected suicide.
Such warnings are unprintable.
Efforts to get Uncle Raymond’s contact from Rita Enemare proved abortive as she said the number was not in her phone.
A visit to 13, U.U Drive, Off Ugbor road, GRA, Benin City where the incident occurred revealed the Oyakhilomen’s apartment under lock and key.
The account of the gate man who identified himself simply as Abel and two other occupants of the building corroborated that of Rita Enemare as per the assistance, they offered in taking the 10 litres of petrol upstairs and rushing late Mr. Efene Eric Oyakhilomen to the hospital, respectively, that fateful evening.
The alleged suicide reported by Mr. Umoru
Mr. Festus Agho narrated that his late daughter has been having issues over her husband’s engagement in extramarital affairs.
He further explained that when his son-in-law Mr. Emmanuel Umoru called and reported his daughter action to him, he sued for forgiveness in the overall interest of peace.
He however expressed sadness that about 11:56pm on Saturday, July 16, 2022, Mr. Emmanuel Umoru’s landlord called and informed him that his daughter has hanged herself.
“I met police officers from Aduwawa who said I cannot go in to see the corpse of my daughter.
“But from what I have seen so far, I want Edo State government, commissioner of police in Edo State and relevant authorities to help me ask my daughter’s husband what he did to his wife.
“My daughter did not take her life,” Mr. Agho stated.
“This recent crisis started after Cynthia discovered that her husband was dating a girl he earlier introduced as his goddaughter.
“They were in the church last Sunday; their first daughter was playing with her husband phone when a text message delivered in the phone.
“Instead of the child to give the phone to her father she gave it to her mother Cynthia who read the message. A romantic one from the said goddaughter.
“She confronted her husband when they got home, and he denied dating the girl.
“Cynthia went to the girl’s POS shop opposite her husband office to find out. The girl apologized.
“When her husband heard of it, he was furious and told the girl to embarrass his wife next time she dares come to her shop.
“Since the girl has been given power, she called Cynthia saying whenever she enters her shop to ask such questions, she will be embarrassed. In fact, Mr. Emmanuel Umoru did treat my sister fairly,” a cousin of her recounted.
It was further gathered that late Cynthia Agho used her connection in her office to secure a job for her husband before she resigned and went into private business.
She told her father that she resigned her job which was outside Benin City to protect her marriage.
The Public Relations Officer for Edo State Police Command SP Chidi Nwabuzor said the command awaits autopsy result for further action.
SP Chidi Nwabuzor stated this while giving update on the two suicide cases reported to the police in Benin City in July 2022.
“Cynthia’s husband Mr. Emmanuel Umoru is currently with the police. These two cases are at the stage of autopsy Investigation.
“If anyone is suspected to have killed any of the two victims, that person will be charged to court,” SP Nwabuzor assured.
Recall that late Mr. Efene Eric Oyakhilomen’s wife identified as Mrs. Rita Enenare, 33 and Cynthia Agho’s husband Mr. Emmanuel Umoru, 45 separately reported the incidents to police.
and Rita Enemare at GRA, Benin City.
“On the 16th July, 2022 at about 0024hrs (12:24am), one Mrs Rita Enemare of number 13, U.U Drive, Ugbor, reported at Ugbor divisional police headquarters, GRA, Benin City, that about 20:25hrs (8:25pm) of 15th July, 2022, her husband one Mr. Efene Eric Oyakhilomen, aged 40 years, of the same address was seen lying on the bed with foam in his mouth and was taken to a hospital where he was confirmed dead.
“… the complainant said an empty Trophy beer can and Sniper plastic were found close to the deceased person in the room. Meanwhile, the corpse has been deposited in a hospital mortuary for preservation, autopsy and further investigation to ascertain whether it was a suicide or murder,” SP Nwabuzor said.
Similarly, a Benin-based accountant with a private firm in Benin City was reported to have allegedly murdered his pregnant wife and hanged her corpse to feign suicide.
The deceased’s family alleged that the accountant, Mr. Emmanuel Umoru committed the act after his wife Cynthia Agho, 27, mother of his two children, accused him of having extramarital affairs.
The alleged suicide occurred at 10, Omozuise Street, Off Street 2, Lucky Way, Aduwawa, Benin City about 11:48pm on Saturday, July 16, 2022.
