Edo State Government has condemned in strong terms the gruesome murder of a Benin-city-based realtor and business man, Mr. Joel Umwueni Isibor, directing security agencies to fish out the killers.

The 42 years old estate developer and owner of a boutique was sent to his untimely grave by suspected gunmen who broke into his store last Friday evening, and shot him at a close range.

Edo State Deputy Governor, Mr. Dennis Idahosa, who received the news of the alleged murdered of the business man with a rude shock, visited the family of the deceased to commiserate with them over the untimely death of their patriarch.

Idahosa said Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, was deeply touched and saddened over the gruesome murder of a vibrant young and energetic man.

He assured them that the state government would not leave any stone unturned to fish out the perpetrators of the dastardly act and bring them to book.

Idahosa warned criminal elements to relocate from Edo State as the government would not compromise its stand on dealing defensively with criminals and their collaborators, using the instrumentality of the law to serve as deterrent to others.

He added the state government would synergise with security agencies to launch high scale investigation into the matter, with a view to apprehending the perpetrators of the heinous act and bring them to justice.

The deputy governor assured the bereaved family of the state government?s unwavering commitment to identifying with them.

Responding, Mrs. Joel Isibor, wife of the deceased business man, appreciated the state government for its prompt response to commiserate with the family, and described her husband?s death as a heinous crime against humanity.

She said the assailant laid ambush for her husband, while trying to lock the shop after the day?s business and opened fire on him without any provocation, while nothing was removed from the store which painted a true picture of well-orchestrated assassination.

Mrs. Isibor said she was completely devastated, as the husband was the bread winner of the family, and appealed to the state government to carry out thorough investigation to unravel the mystery surrounding the gruesome murder of her husband.

Meanwhile, the Akoko-Edo Ward 1 Chairman of the Labour Party (LP) in Edo State and a realtor, Okasime Olowojoba, has been reportedly kidnapped on the Auchi-Benin-Ibillo Road while on his way to Igarra from Auchi.

Olowojoba was said to have been abducted yesterday while on his way back to Igarra from Auchi where he had gone to pick his children who resumed school in Igarra.

Report has it that the incident happened last Saturday at Sasaro, a bad spot which has been notorious for violent kidnappings in the past.

The kidnappers were said to have initially taken all the occupants in the vehicle which included Olowojoba, his house help, and children but later abandoned the house help and the children and took him away.

A close family member told journalists yesterday that the kidnappers were demanding N50 million as ransom.

According to him, ?Valentine Okasime Olowojoba is the Ward 1 Chairman of the Labour Party (LP). He went to Auchi to pick his children; his children and wife went to Auchi for holidays, he went to bring them to resume school on Monday. On their way back that Saturday, he was kidnapped and it happened that the same day mobile network in the area did not function at all.

?They were all initially being taken into the bush by the kidnappers but they later left the house help and the children and went with him. They picked him up and abandoned his vehicle on the road.

?There was no network that Saturday, it was restored around 12 noon on Sunday, and I learnt from his brother that as at yesterday that they were asking for a ransom of N50 million.

?I also learnt that some other people were also kidnapped in the same area last Sunday.?

The police have not confirmed the incident, as calls made to the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Moses Yamu, could not be reached. (THISDAY)

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