…As Mother, 46-yr-old brother, others, bemoan threats to lives
By John Onuka
Kidnapped victim, identified as Aghedo Samson Uwaifo, have been reportedly killed in kidnappers’ den over inability of his family to raise the sum of ₦250Million demanded as ransom, just as they have accused their relatives, among whom are very senior serving police officer and two prominent politicians of constantly harassing them with a view to forcefully taking over the estate of their late father, Mr. George Osayande Uwaifo.
His brother, Enogieru Parkinson Uwaifo and their mother, Mrs Iroghama Elizabeth Uwaifo and other children, have regretted the trauma from the death of their eldest brother unleashed on their mother thereby propelling her to ceaseless hospital admission for medical treatment.
Speaking to newsmen, a close family source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, but failed to disclose his identity for fear of being attacked, said that trouble started with the innocent family immediately after the death of their father in September 2023.
He said that after the death had been announced, the family came to the house to take inventory of their late father’s estate, especially those at the choice areas of Government Reservation Area, G.R.A, Benin City and demanded for all the title deeds which are prerequisites for uniting the children towards the funeral engagement.
He further said that at the meeting, their relatives, among who are a very senior serving police officer and two prominent politicians, openly stated and alleged that late father Mr. George Osayande Uwaifo and themselves, jointly owned a Four-flat building, reaffirming that their late brother bought the land but that they jointly built the building thereon.
The family source stated that family , the children of late George Osayande Uwaifo said their relatives whose actions denied their late brother and father immediate access to follow-up medical treatment after the operation as their late father was arrested and failed to get medical attention.
He added that the children doubted the authenticity of their relatives claim as they once moved the plans to sell the property by bringing buyers while their late father was still alive.
However, in the course of holding the meeting, his eldest son, Aghedo Samson Uwaifo, to avoid unnecessary confrontation, voluntarily gave the documents of their late father’s properties to the family even though their relatives insisted on the properties at G.R.As.
The controversy lingered on to the extent that when the final funeral rites of late George Osayande Uwaifo was adequately fixed for December 2023, their relatives mobilised their children and even hired thugs to disrupt the arrangement process; then the family postponed the burial to June 2024 and yet, their relatives who was head bent on forcefully taking over their father’s properties again disrupted the process and brought thugs and based on that,the family postponed the funeral indefinitely pending when the matter have been resolved.
The source added that the wife of late George Osayande Uwaifo, Mrs Iroghama Elizabeth Uwaifo and all other children, including Enogieru Parkinson Uwaifo, who has been molested and discriminated in the past due to his ill health, was said to have been mocked and accused to be gay due to his health condition by the said relatives, so he can be prosecuted by the authorities.
They also threatened to kill him ( Enogieru Parkinson Uwaifo), whom their relatives see as resisting whatever deadly plans they had against them.
The source explained that the family faced different harassment till the day, some thugs came to the house of late George Osayande Uwaifo and started shooting sporadically on to the air while forcefully removing the roof of the building they live in and Mrs Iroghama Elizabeth Uwaifo was smuggled out of the scene to avoid being killed and her eldest son, late Aghedo Samson Uwaifo, was later kidnapped and killed and his children escaped.
That their said relatives put up all entreaties to ensure the children, give him the property documents but did not see the light of the day as they threatened that until the children give out that documents, they cannot have peace.
The source said the late Aghedo Samson Uwaifo before he was kidnapped and killed, went to the police station to incident the case of threat to lives against the said relatives and the police while responding, asked the children to deal with the case traditionally and settle it within themselves since it was a family case and coupled with the facts that their superior officer was one of the relatives jostling for the property the subject matter.
Thereafter that, some miscreants suspected to be kidnappers invaded the house of late George Osayande Uwaifo and forcefully took away Aghedo Samson Uwaifo and their mother was emotionally devasted and fell sick when she had that her son had been kidnapped and that the kidnappers demanded for #200Million on first instant and threatened to kill their son if they fail and or refused to pay the ransom.
The police after hearing about the sad news of kidnapping, assured the family of bringing Justice and when the kidnappers discovered that both the police and vigilante had been involved especially when the security made several efforts to comb the forest where the victims were kept, they increased the ransom from ₦200Million to ₦250Million and also gave them one week ultimatum to pay or else they will kill their brother in captivity.
The source noted that when the family was unable to raise the ransom,they killed Aghedo Samson Uwaifo and when the police and local vigilante team combed the forest, to rescue the victims, they discovered the decomposed body of Aghedo Samson Uwaifo and others who were kidnapped.
He maintained that the killing of their eldest brother, Aghedo Samson Uwaifo sent serious threats and warnings to their sick mother and her children particularly Enogieru Parkinson Uwaifo whom targeted to kill even though they had lost their eldest brother for unable to produce the property documents in the choice areas of G.R.A, to their said relatives of high calibre in the society.
The source said that as at press time, the police are yet to unravel the circumstances leading to the threats to their lives, saying both Mrs Iroghama Elizabeth Uwaifo and children had been living in palpable fear over their rights to ownership of property owned by their late father.
