By Bose Adelaja

Mrs Mosunmola Ashaye was in a pensive mood that Thursday, as she sat on a sofa, staring at her sympathisers as if one of them would announce the miraculous resurrection of her husband, a retired naval officer. Alas, this was never to be for the father of four, who was slain on Monday February 4, during a gun battle with sea pirates in Bayelsa State in the course of his official duty.

Her grief was compounded by the fact that the news of her  husband’s death was broken to her through what she described as  “a chance telephone conversation” with  an unidentified fellow. That was three days after the deceased, who joined the company about three years ago, was killed in active service.

Narrating her ordeal to Vanguard Metro, VM, she  said her husband, Otunba Oladeinde Oladipo Ashaye, a Convoy Commander with Sterling Global Oil Services, came home for his break and was reluctant to report back to work on January 28, 2013. But when he received a summon from the company to report to work immediately, he had no choice but to join his team.  He reluctantly left Ogun State for Warri, oblivious that death was knocking at his door.

*The late Otunba Ashaye

About 5am of Monday February 4, the 49-year-old Otunba called his wife on phone to know if all was well with the family, forebodingly adding thus: ’’I don’t know what is happening in our company O, a colleague slept and died in his sleep today …’’.

Disturbed by this disclosure,  Mosunmola called her husband around 10am but got no response. It remained so for two days and she became more worried. On Wednesday, she repeated the call and an unidentified person responded thus: ‘’Madam, what is your relationship with the owner of this number’’?

She identified herself as the wife and the voice asked further: ‘’Where are you presently, is anybody with you’’? She answered that she was alone and the voice dropped the bombshell: ‘’Well, I am sorry to inform you that your husband died three days ago…’’.

This widow thought she was watching a movie until her voice attracted her neighbours who rushed to her house and the news spread in the neighbouhood. One of the sympathisers, Shepherd Oluwaseun Ale, said the deceased was well loved by both young and old. ‘’Otunba was loving and caring,’’ he said amidst tears.

The Ashayes who hail from Iperu, Ogun State, had lived in Abule-Egba, Lagos State for a long time before relocating to Joju, Ifo-Ota local government, Ogun State last December.

It would be recalled that Ashaye and three serving personnel of the Joint Military Task Force were on Monday February 4, shot dead in an early morning ambush mounted by suspected sea pirates along the Angiama-Etelibiri waterways of Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

Also shot dead in the gun battle with the sea pirates was an unidentified civilian, while another civilian, identified as the driver of the attacked barge, was reportedly taken away.

Authorities of the Joint Military Task Force in Yenagoa confirmed that the military personnel and other causalities of the attack were detailed on official escort of an oil barge belonging to the Sterling Global Oil Services.

Unidentified official

Few days ago, a relation tried to locate the company’s head office located at 254 Etim Inyang Crescent, Victoria Island, but found the place under lock and key, although an unidentified official of the company claimed it has relocated to Kwale in Delta State.

VM was informed by those in a position to know that the attack of the convoy was a set-up as the whereabout of the boat driver is unknown, although reports claimed he was taken away by the sea pirates.

As at the time of filing this report, the company has not met with the deceased’s family for funeral arrangement. The bereaved family has also not been informed of any compensation or entitlement even as it claims to be aware that the company deducted pension savings from the deceased’s wages.

The widow claimed the company told her on phone of its plan to move the corpse to Ogun State for burial but ‘’the company has not sent any representative to commiserate with us.”

“My husband would have been 50 years old in July. He told me he did not feel like going to work, but somebody called him from office that the convoy was ready and there was nobody to handle that assignment. On that fateful February 4, he led the convoy to the IC; unfortunately he was attacked on his way back. They said he died on February 4 but I was not informed of this until the day I called and the news was broken to me,” she lamented.