Society Gists

The Edo State Police Command has arrested three suspects in the alleged robbery attack and murder of the late Mrs. Grace Omoigui, the mother of a former Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Ifueko Omoigui-Okauru.

It was gathered that the late Omoigui, a retired magistrate, was shot in the thigh during a robbery attack on Liberty Avenue, GRA, Benin, on October 24, 2016.

The 82-year-old victim had been trailed from a new generation bank on Sapele Road where she had gone to withdraw some money sent to her by her daughter.

The deceased was said to have driven off from the bank when robbers shot at the tyres of her vehicle.

But they were said to have followed her into the premises of a hotel on Liberty Avenue where they shot her and reportedly robbed her of N2m.

A source in the area, who pleaded anonymity, said that the robbers had demanded a blue bag containing the money from the victim but she reportedly gave them a wrong bag.

The source also claimed that some security men and the driver watched helplessly as the robbers later made away with the cash after they shot the old woman.

However, the state Commissioner of Police, Haliru Gwandu, told our correspondent on Sunday that the suspects were arrested four days after the attack.

Gwandu identified the suspects as Austin Orene, Isaiah Ngbeken and Esogie Aigbede.

According to the commissioner, items recovered from them included one double-barrelled cut-to-size gun, two single-barrelled cut-to-size guns and a live cartridge.

Other items recovered were assorted handsets, different identify cards and receipt booklets, a decoder, a DVD and a laptop.

He said that though the charge earlier preferred against the suspects was armed robbery, it would be reviewed to include murder, following the death of the woman on November 19.

Gwandu explained, “The old woman was shot. She had been treated and discharged here. That had taken almost a month now.

“She recovered (from the wound). We took her to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital and when she was discharged from the hospital, the in-law took her to Lagos; she died in Lagos.

“We have already arrested them (suspects). They are in prison. They were charged with armed robbery. But this time around, we will modify our case file and transmit to the DPPý to inform them that she had died. So, there is an additional charge of murder.”