AUCHI-A 47 year-old widow and mother of three children has escaped assassination in Auchi, the administrative headquarters of Etsako West local government area of Edo State.
It was gathered that the widow’s attack came years after her eldest son one Friday Alfred experienced similar hostility that forced him to flee his ancestral home.
Sources alleged that a notorious and powerful businessman (name withheld), said to be the widow’s brother in-law has vowed to eliminate the widow and her three children over his late brother’s property.
The widow identified as Mrs Alfred Rose was said to be returning from her late husband’s hometown, Iyora village when unknown armed men waylaid, dragged her out of a commercial bus, attacked and abandoned her in pool of her blood.
She was said to have been rushed to a nearby hospital by a team of police officers on patrol in Auchi metropolis.
The unfortunate incident occurred at Angle 90 area at Auchi about 11am on Thursday, October 29, 2020.
When our reporter visited the scene and the hospital she was rushed to, it was learnt that some church members of Mrs Alfred Rose came from Lagos and took her to unknown location to avoid being retraced and killed by the armed men.
Contacted, the Public Relations Officer, Edo State Police Command SP Chidi Nwabuzor said that investigation has traced the attack to a crisis over Mrs Alfred Rose’s late husband’s property.
“We have reports that her late husband’s brother wants to claim every property belonging to his late brother and he has the backing of the community.
“Investigation also revealed that the widow’s eldest son, Friday Alfred is nowhere to be found after attempts were made on his life some years ago.
“Though we have not made any arrest but we have invited some persons to come along with their suspected gang members trailing the widow even in Lagos where she resides currently’. SP Chidi Nwabuzor said.
The police spokesman however urged members of the public to volunteer actionable information as the police are not spirit.
It was further gathered that her husband Mr Emmanuel Alfred who died in 2011 survived by a wife Mrs Alfred Rose and three sons.
A source at Iyora village, near Auchi stated that the widow had earlier be banished from the community for refusing to remarry her late husband’s brother.
The source however expressed concern over failure of Nigeria government and other relevant authorities to protect the family of his late kinsman, Mr Emmanuel Alfred.
Efforts to obtain comments from the alleged notorious and powerful businessman failed.
Meanwhile, a dependable source at the force headquarters, Abuja, hinted that the Inspector-General of Police IGP Mohammed Adamu recently approved the deployment of armed mobile policemen to guard the man’s business head offices in Abuja, Kano, Jos and Lagos after the ENDSARS riot experience.
