Edo: Family of deceased cries out for justice

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Against the backdrop of the murder of late Mrs. Mercy Nosakhare Iserhienrhien of Uniaro Village in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State, the family of the deceased has cried out to Chief Judge of Edo State, Hon, Justice Esther Edigin, to come to their aid with a view to ensuring that justice is done in the murder of Mercy.

The deceased husband, Mr. Nosakhare Iserhienrhien, who made the appeal on behalf of the family during a protest at Edo State High Court, along Sapele Road in Benin City on Wednesday, said his correspondence to the Oba of Benin, Edo State Government, Chief Judge became imperative following the recent alleged plan by the suspected murderer, one Monday Edegbe, to influence the process of prosecution using some highly connected individuals in the state.

“It will interest you to know that since his (Monday) arrest and remand in prison custody, the said Monday Edegbe has done everything possible to ensure he escapes by interfering with the prosecution of this case by using highly connected individuals to release him from police custody.

“And when this failed, he employed machineries to track and harass the known eyewitnesses which caused some of them to flee for fear of elimination,” Iserhienrhien alleged.

The widower, who lamented that plans by the said Monday Edegbe to allegedly use the office of the Chief Judge and the office of the Attorney-General/ Commissioner for Justice to influence the prosecution, appealed to the Edo State Chief Judge, Hon. Justice Esther Edigin, Professor Yinka Omorogbe, Edo State Governor and Oba Ewuare II to use their good offices to prevail on the matter in the interest of Justice.

He said: “I, on behalf of myself and entire family plead that justice is done in the case of the murder of our wife, daughter and mother whose lifeless body is still laying in the mortuary seeking for Justice against one Monday Edegbe and members of his gang who had a hand in her murder”, Iserhienrhien further pleaded.

He stated that the said Monday Edegbe who had been standing trial on account of the murder of his wife, even as witnesses already testified before the Court sitting in Court 5 (now Court 4), Benin City applied for bail through his counsel, C.B. Ogiegbaen which in Suit No. B/CD/298c/2019 was struck out by Justice Ohimai Ovbiagele on November 1, 2019 for lack of merit, adding that the accused was not entitled to bail in a case punishable by death.

He expressed fear that if granted bail, the said Monday will prevail on the witnesses which he said would amount to subversion of Justice.

Iserhienrhien, however, expressed confidence in the Chief Judge, saying “With a God-fearing individual like you in position as Chief Judge of Edo State, a position we liken to position of God in man-form, we believe that you will not allow your office to be used as a tool to aid injustice as Monday’s incessant boast is extremely worrisome”.

Addressing the protesters, the Chief Register, Edo State High Court, Aziegbemhin Idemudia, Esq., sternly debunked the allegation, assuring that the judiciary is an independent arm of government, hence, justice would not only be done but it would be seen to be done in the case.