BENIN CITY – Members of the Ogboni Ritual Cult Group, yesterday, renewed threats of killing Frank Osakue, his Wife, Roseline Osakue, son, Frankley Osakue and others, over his alleged refusal to join the Cult Group as planned.
It would be recalled that the father of Frank Osakue, Late Godwin Osakue, before his demise in 2016, was a principal officer and a leader of the ritual cult group, who in line with the laid down rules, stated that if he died, his eldest son (Frank) should be compelled to be initiated into the group to assume his leadership position which he held sway in trust, unknown to his son that such a secret agreement which his late father entered into was trending until his eventual death.
Speaking with journalists at their Debekemen Street, Ugbighoko Quarters, Benin City residence, a close family source, who has lived in the neighbourhood with the family for years, but failed to give her identity for fear of being killed, said that trouble however started with the family, especially Frank Osakue, immediately after the death in 2016 and subsequent burial rites of his father, late Godwin Osakue in January 2017 as some leaders of the cult group came to inform him about the trending agreement his late father was perceived to have entered into that he, (Frank) being the eldest son, should be initiated to take over his leadership position, hence they fixed a day for the initiation process.
She said further that Frank Osakue, being a devoted Christian, declined the offer, asserting that the issues of ritual cultism is an evil and does not reflect Christ in action.
The source added that Frank Osakue’s refusal to the ritual cult initiation did not go down well with the leaders and members, as they continually sent threats messages, vowing to kill him, his wife Roseline Osakue, son, Frankley Osakue and others for not only defying their rules, but for bringing disgrace and disappointment to the group, especially in disobeying the order of his late father, whom they regarded as their father in the group.
She maintained that when the threats became so serious and particularly against the backdrop of different strange persons that were always coming around their residence at both day and night, Frank Osakue on the 22nd of February 2017 became missing when the cultists invaded their residence, stressing that all efforts to get him became futile, hence his wife, Roseline Osakue, who was left to her fate with her children, she reported the matter to the police and investigations were launched to unravel the circumstances leading to the threats and subsequent escaped.
The source pointed out that despite the facts that the police were already handling the matter, again on the 10th of April 2017, the ritual cult members, renewed their desperation and came to their house to tell his wife that since her husband was no where to be seen, that her first son, Frankley Osakue, will be initiated into the cult group to replace his escaped father and as such promised to come back to the house to forcefully pick the boy three days from that day.
Apprehensive by the exigencies of the ritual cultists, Roseline Osakue, who initially was advised by the police to remain careful to avoid her and children being victimized unlawfully just because her husband has refused to join the deadly cult group to assuage their mind, choose to escape alongside her children, including Frankley Osakue, the senior son.
Premised on the ceaseless threats of killing her and children, coupled with the facts that her husband was still reported missing, whether he was killed by the cult members, who have boasted to use their huge financial positions to cover up their misdeeds, if actualized or not remained a sad moment, she, Roseline Osakue had to escape with her children to avoid being killed.
The source insisted that because of the influential status of the cult members, the people in the neighbourhood were gripped with the fear of attack as they could not do anything to save the innocent family, explaining the ruthless cult members are still coming to their residence in search of them to kill, even till yesterday, Sunday May 29 2022, when some persons came around the house at 11pm.
She however, appealed for adequate protection and support for them to be exonerated from the evil doers, especially now there is high spate of insecurity in the country, especially in view of the fact that their whereabouts remains unknown, stressing that the police are still investigating the matter, just as she had advised them not to come around forever as the cultists are still on daily vigil to their residence.
