BY LUKA BINNIYAT
KADUNA—The police yesterday reacted to the violent death of a retired Army Colonel, Francis Ogbeyi and his wife, Stella at his Sabon Tasha-bypass residence in Kaduna, Sunday. Ogbeyi, 55, was a native of Okpokwu in Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State.

The deceased soldier who retired into law practice in 2003, was discovered dead after his son and his other two wives returned from Sunday service at about 10:30am with bullet wounds through his nostrils even as his wife had several machete cuts.

The house was forced open, after all attempts to get them respond to calls failed, only to find the husband and wife lying in pool of their own blood

Kaduna State Police Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent Aminu Lawal, told Vanguard that there was a curious angle to the tragedy, as it was discovered that all the doors and windows were locked from the inside.

“The police actually found the man and his wife dead, but we discovered that he was dead with all doors and windows to the house locked from inside.

“The question then is, who locked the doors from inside that could not be found? There is no evidence yet to suggest that there was a forced entry into the house before their death. That is why I said, you should wait until we finish our investigations before we inform you about what led to their deaths. But, we have started investigations already. Their bodies have been deposited at St. Gerald’s Hospital, Kaduna”.
This assertion, however, casts doubts on the initial claims that the couple might have been assassinated. Some people, who spoke to Vanguard on grounds of anonymity, said the man had made for himself a handful of enemies before his death.
They said: “There was a time he forced some of his local chiefs in the village to Kaduna after he took them to court over a land dispute.
“He also had issues with some interest groups here in Kaduna. The man left the Army as Head of Accounts of the Nigerian Defence Academy.
“He went into law practice and was very successful. You can see that he lives on a small estate that he built just to house his three wives and several children. He has been in and out of issues with people since he left the army”.

It was earlier alleged that the couple were killed by some unknown assailants who also made away with the retired Colonels three mobile telephones and laptop but reports being pieced together indicate that none of the deceased’s property or mobile telephones was stolen as it was strongly doubted if any person actually visited the house within the period at all. Meanwhile, no arrests has made on the two murders.