The Lagos State Police Command has arrested one Osaro Okonobom and Lucky Oboh for allegedly attempting to assassinate a sexagenarian, Gladys Osaigbovo-Omon, at her residence in Benin, Edo State.
The suspects, who were arrested on July 26, 2018, were said to have made the attempt on the life of Gladys on the instruction of her sister, Augusta Osaigbovo.
It was gathered that Gladys fell out with Augusta, who lives in the United Kingdom, over a case of human trafficking.
Augusta was alleged to have contracted her nephew, Okonobom, to kill Gladys.
Okonobom reportedly sought the help of his friend, Oboh, who in turn recruited two men to carry out the mission.
The 60-year-old woman said she sponsored Augusta’s education, adding that when she (Augusta) took her (Glady’s) daughter to the UK, she thought Augusta was helping her.
She said, “It turned out that she wanted my daughter to become a prostitute and my daughter refused.
“My sister became angry and procured a fake permit for my daughter. She reported my daughter to the police and when my daughter was questioned, she told the police that the permit was processed for her by Augusta.
“This led to the arrest of my sister and after serving jail term, she threatened to deal with my daughter but I intervened. I did not know that she will go as far as trying to kill me.”
She explained that Okonobom visited her twice with some unknown men, adding that it was her warmth that made the suspected killers to have mercy on her.
“When they came the second time, I prepared food for them. When they finished eating, I heard them talking to one another that I was a good woman and that they could not kill me. They told me that it was Okonobom who contracted them and that my sister wanted me dead,” she said.
Okonobom said Augusta had been disturbing him to kill Gladys since last year, adding that he agreed to it because she promised to pay him handsomely for the job.
He said, “Oboh introduced Igbinedion to me. Igbinedion demanded N1.5m for the job. I told Augusta that it would cost N4.5m and she agreed to pay.”
The Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, said the suspects were arrested on July 26, 2018, adding that two of the contracted killers were police officers.
He said, “When the Divisional Police Officer of Igando, CSP Taiwo Kasumu, got a whiff of the plan to kill Gladys, he planted two agents provocateurs –Igbinedion Ogbevon and Success Ehiosun – to play along with the hired killers. The gang assembled and were paid N500,000 by Augusta Osaigbovo as a mobilisation fee for the job.
“Together, they went to Benin in Edo State and identified their target, Gladys Osaigbovo-Omon, after which they returned to Lagos and requested Augusta to give them the balance of N4m. It was at this stage that they were rounded up.”
Imohimi advised parents to be careful of who they entrust their children with, adding that efforts were ongoing to make Augusta answer for her crime.
