There was pandemonium at Owhelogbo community, Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta state following the burning of two hotels and a building over last Saturday’s killing of a man in a hotel, Century Home, in the community, SaharaReporters has learnt.
Bishop Sunday Ogofotha, an indigene of Owhelogbo community based in Lagos State had last week Friday, travelled from Lagos and lodged in the hotel, Century Home to attend his brother’s funeral in the community on Saturday, but he was kidnapped and killed in the hotel.
Sources in the community had told SaharaReporters that the deceased, an indigene of Owhelogbo community, Isoko North, had come all the way from Lagos on Friday to attend the burial of his late relative on the following day which was on Saturday.
But till that Sunday, he was not seen and relatives called his wife. Luckily the man had told his wife that he was lodging in Century home on arrival to the community on that Friday.
“Based on that information, the family members moved straight to the hotel to make enquiries but they were told by the hotel management that nobody of such came to lodge in their hotel. After much heated argument, the family insisted to check all the rooms with a bit resistance from the hotel owner. As the check was going on, they got to a particular room and the hotel owner, Chief Joseph Ovie Oghole, resisted that clients lodged in that particular room were making out so they should not be disturbed for whatever reason.
“But the family and the community’s vigilante group broke the door and they saw the man on the bed already killed. He was tired with rope with so many injuries inflicted on him. Century home is a den of kidnappers, ritual and other criminal activities take place there. Last year, a girl, named Bethel, a POS operator, opposite the hotel was killed in same circumstances and during the search for the man who lodged in the hotel on Friday that was killed, the POS machine and other valuables belonging to the POS girl were recovered from the hotel. Even the wife of the security guard in the hotel, confessed how the POS girl was killed by her husband and buried her at the back of the hotel.” a source had narrated.
Meanwhile, there was pandemonium at Owhelogbo community, Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta state following the burning of two hotels and a building over last Saturday’s killing of a man in Century home in the community, SaharaReporters has learnt.
It was gathered that the community youths and family of the deceased had not been happy following manner the state Commissioner of Police and his men are handling the whole matter and accused the commissioner of compromise.
SaharaReporters gathered that, the statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe allegedly releasing and exonerating the owner of the hotel who was allegedly connected to the kidnap and killing of the Bishop, aggravated the anger of the community youths and family members of the deceased.
Trouble started on Monday when a team of police officers from the state police command Asaba, came to the community on a visit to the scene of the crime with the manager of the hotel when some youths allegedly confronted the police why the hotel owner was released and exonerated when investigations had not been formally concluded.
Community sources told SaharaReporters that shortly after the confrontation with the team of police, angry youths who had suspected compromise on the side of the police, mobilised to the two hotels and a residential building belonging to the owner of the Century home and set them ablaze.
Speaking to SaharaReporters, a member of the deceased family who identified himself as Osama Omamoke Elijah, accused the state commissioner of police of compromise and called for the immediate transfer of the case to the office of the Inspector General of Police in Abuja as they no longer had confidence in the Delta State Police command.
Reacting to the Monday incident, the chairman of Isoko North council, Godwin Ogorugba who confirmed the burning of the property expressed disappointment and condemned any act of taking laws into ones hands.
The council boss appealed to the people of Owhelogbo community to remain calm and allow security agencies to do their work as investigations were already ongoing in the matter, warning that the government would not tolerate any act of lawlessness in the community and the entire local government.
When contacted for comment on the incident, the Delta state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO SP Bright Edafe said, “On today’s incident, I have not gotten details yet but as soon as I have them I shall reach you back”.
