By Gabriel Enogholase
BENIN— MEMBERS of the Obaretin community in Ikpoba/Okha Local Government Area of Edo State, led by its Odionwere, Pa Imasuen Osagiede, have described the petition addressed to the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 5, Benin by one David Ogbeide, alleging shoddy investigation into the murder of his son, Osamuyi Ogbeide, as an attempt to divert the efforts of law enforcement agents from the substance of the matter.

It will be recalled that Mr. Ogbeide, through his counsel Mr. Olayiwola Afolabi, had in a petition to the police, appealed to him to transfer investigations into the murder case from the homicide section to another section in the interest of objectivity and unbiased investigation.

Reacting to recent media publications on the issue, Pa Osagiede in a statement in Benin yesterday, said: “Contrary to the claim by Mr. Ogbeide that the name of his deceased son is Osamuyi Ogbeide, his actual name is Osamede Kingsley Ogbeide and he was murdered at Museum ground, Kings Square Benin and not at Obaretin.”

The community insisted that Mr. Ogbeide’s petition to the police authorities to transfer the case from the Homicide Section to another unit was as a result of the “uncompromising stand of the Homicide Unit and their ability to get to the root of this serious case.”

He explained that on the day of the incident, a meeting was convened at the Museum ground, at the instance of the leaders of the community to resolve the leadership tussle between the said Stanley Ekhator Obaretin Community Youth Vice-Chairman, and Mr. Osabuiohien Uhuahgho, incumbent Obaretin Community Youth Chairman.

The community alleged that prior to the day of the incident, Mr. Ekhator and his supporters tried to forcibly take over the leadership of the youth association and attacked the house of the Odionwere.
It said that some persons were injured with vehicles and houses set ablaze, while the over 100-year-old Odionwere, who is the original complaint, was arrested but later released on bail.

The community leader said both men were advised to stay away from the meeting, but that Mr. Stanley Ekhator disobeyed the said order.