A 25-year-old housemaid, Dominion Okoro, on Tuesday in Benin revealed that she killed Madam Maria Oredola Igbinedion, 85, the mother of a former Governor of Edo State, Chief Lucky Igbinedion.
Narrating how she carried out the nefarious act on December 2, Okoro, who was arrested in her hometown, Calabar, said she hit her late boss with a stool while sleeping in order to rob her of her possession.
Okoro, who stated this while being paraded at Edo State Police headquarters in Benin, disclosed that she made away with N100,000, a wristwatch and jewellery from the GRA residence of the Igbinedions.
She said, “I killed Mama (Madam Maria Igbinedion) to carry her money. She did not offend me. While she was sleeping on her bed, around 12:01 a.m. on December 2, 2021, I used a stool to hit her on the head and she was shouting for help, but only the gateman was around and he did not hear the shout. Mama later died.
“I waited till 4 a.m. on December 2, 2021, before leaving the house with Mama’s N100,000, wristwatch, and jewellery. I escaped to Cross River State, but I was later arrested by the police.”
Madam Igbinedion was buried in Benin on December 10 in Benin.
The prime suspect’s (Dominion’s) elder sister, Patience, was first arrested by the police before Dominion was later nabbed and moved to Benin for a thorough investigation.
Patience Okoro said neither she nor their parents in Cross River State knew anything about the crime committed by Dominion.
Edo Commissioner of Police, Phillip Ogbadu, revealed that it took time, efforts and money to arrest Dominion, noting that no fewer than 20 persons were first arrested before Dominion was arrested and she confessed to committing the crime.
He noted the suspects in the murder of Madam Igbinedion would soon be charged to court, after thorough investigation.
Ogbadu also stated that in the fourth quarter of this year, 427 suspected criminals were arrested for their involvement in kidnapping, armed robbery, murder, burglary and other crimes, with a large cache of arms, ammunition and money also recovered from them, while urging criminal elements to stay away from the state.
He admonished residents of the state to be security conscious during the festive period and never to display expensive items in their vehicles in order not to attract armed robbers. He also urged residents to have a tracking device in their vehicles, so as to recover them faster, in case of theft.
The CP also urged residents to always provide the command with timely and useful information about criminals in their midst, while assuring that their identities would be concealed.
