Edo cult war: Acclaimed father of deceased police sergeant gives CP 72hrs ultimatum

Titus Akhigbe, Benin-City

A new twist has emerged over the controversies surrounding the murder of police Sergeant, Monday Osia Ehigie by suspected cultists following a statement issued by the acclaimed father of the deceased, Chief Imafidon Osia Ehigie urging the Commissioner of Police, Mr Hakeem Odumosu to retract the statement or face the consequences. He also denied having any meeting with the Commissioner confirming his son as a cultist since his death. Chief Ehigie who claimed to be the father of the deceased expressed shock over what he described as scathing and inglorious tag on his son as a Cultist . It will be recalled that younger Ehijie who was a police Sergeant and two other Civilians were allegedly murdered at the weekend during a clash by two rival cult groups in the State. It was gathered that the officer was allegedly killed near Nomayo junction, Upper Sakpoba, Ikpoba Okha-Local Government area of Edo State while returning from his duty post.He was attached to the executive chairman of Ikpoba Okha local government,Dr Eric Osayande. In a publication of January 28, 1019 of the punch newspaper and a news flash of the Independent Television Broadcast of Saturday January 26, 2019 credited to the State Commissioner, of Police, Hakeem Olusegun Odumosun, confirmed the incident, but claimed it was a cult killing and that the deceased police officer was a cultist. He said: “It was alleged that the officer belong to a cult group, he was fighting on the side of his cult group with rival cult group. That was what led to his death. Three people lost their life in the fight, the police officer and two other”. “I have gone to see his family. It is a cult killing and the officer is cultist,” he stated. However, in a counter statement issued by Ehigie Senior on Wednesday, noted that the assertion of the police commissioner not only obviously lost in between naked lies but a dislocation of an official Channel of dissemination of verified information from an organized system that uphold professional modalities. He denied ever meeting with the Commissioner on such ground; stressing, “I received the sad news of my Son’s death and never met with commissioner of police nor did he commiserate with me anywhere let alone confirming from me. The Father of the deceased however condemned what he viewed as misinformation and unconfirmed hasty comment by the police boss which he believes has a separate end to serve in apparently seeking to orchestrate the denial of the payment of due entitlement to a worthy and committed officer who in the course of duty paid the supreme prize. He added that his late Son had served three presidents of the Ikpoba Okha Customary Courts, and subsequently to the Ikpoba Okha Council Chairman on recommendation of the divisional Police Officer Ugbekun as an officer attached and served diligently.