BENIN CITY-The story has been reported in Benin City, about a brother and sister that were kidnapped by unknown gunmen, believed to have been planned by their step mother.
The incident occurred few days ago, September 16, 2016, at about midday in Oka community in the Ikpoba / okha Local Government Area of Edo state.
According to a very reliable close neighbor source, who live in the same area with the family of the victims, who pleaded anonymity narrated the whole story to our crime correspondent.
The source said it all happened that fateful day, when the youngest of the two siblings, Peter Godwin 15, a junior Student of Oka Secondary School, Upper Sokponba area of Oka, Benin city, was picked up by his elder sister Happy Godwin, 24 who normally pick him from school.
On their way home, they were ambushed and taking away by about three treacherous looking unknown gun men who were masked up and whisked away to an unknown destination.
Detailed investigation later revealed that the siblings were taking to an uncompleted building in the bush blind folded. But luckily for her, on getting there, not quite long, she pleaded with the kidnappers to be allowed to move a little further to help herself because she was naturally pressed. While there, she heard gun shots and sighted that her younger brother Peter has been shot dead and immediately took to her heels, knowing fully she was the next victim.
As she was sighted running away fast into the bush from a distance, they started shooting at her, but was lucky to still escape unhurt, before. She was rescued by a good Samaritan, who discovered her in the bush almost exhausted.
But sooner later the kidnappers got to know that she was hibernating somewhere and traced to the house of the good samaritan who saved her life, attacked and burnt down the house at night when they failed to get on their main target. As the man, name unknown, getting the hint of the attack earlier, escaped with their main target, Happy Godwin, who they vowed to get dead or alive.
On detailed discrete investigation by the police at Ugbekun Police Divisional Head Quarter, where the issue was earlier reported by a neighbour, it was revealed that the travail of the two siblings were caused by their step mother Mrs. Etinosa Godwin.
It was also revealed that their mother died some years ago and their father Pa. Osas Godwin later remarried Mrs. Etinosa Godwin, who hadn’t any child since their marriage.
But the childless step mother became very jealous of the step children because she will have no stake of any kind or share from the husband’s properties if he dies, according to the Benin traditional law and customs. She then planned the kidnapping and elimination of the surviving brother and sister, so as to inherit everything after all.
It was also revealed on further investigation that the fleeing Happy Godwin decided to go and pick her brother unusually, earlier before school closing time, on that fateful day they were kidnapped, because she overheard her step mother, unknowingly to the woman that her step daughter Happy Godwin over heard her discussing and planning their kidnap on phone with the kidnappers, immediately after normal school closing time.
When also cornered in his hideout by our correspondent, the good samaritan who rescued Happy Godwin from the bush (name withheld) said he and Happy were lucky to have escaped being killed on the very day his house was attacked and burnt.
He said since that fateful day, the assailants are still on the trail of Happy Godwin in the area. The man said the young lady’s life is at a very high risk due to the way and manner the step mother and the assailants are after her life.
He added that Happy Godwin according to her is very afraid of her life because, the step mother belongs to many bloody and dreaded secret cults like, Reformed Ogboni Confraternity (R.O.F), Asigidi, Osokpikan and Ayelala Temples etc.
She is also very influential because she is from a military family and also belong to the ruling political party in the country, The All Progressives Congress (APC) top class, hence the police is dilly dalling about getting her arrested.
He finally appealed to all concerned authorities and Godly spirited people to please help in the protection of the young Happy Godwin’s life wherever found. He said she is just an innocent victim of circumstance.
When contacted, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Mr. Agidi Adenola (SP) confirmed the story, saying investigation is ongoing and a serious manhunt for the said step mother, Mrs. Etinosa Godwin and the assailants and kidnappers.
Even the whereabout of the bread winner of the family Pa. Osas Godwin, father of the children is unknown as several visits to their family house at No 40, Amawu Street, Upper Sokponba Road, Oka, Benin City, proved abortive.
As at the time of going to press, nothing has been heard about Happy Godwin, nor even sighted anywhere around by anybody. Whether she too has been captured and killed by the assailants, nobody can tell.
