Widow petitions IGP over husband’s ‘mysterious death’ in Edo

The circumstances surrounding the death of 33-year-old Fidelis Osaghae at his workplace, ValChi Fast Foods and Bar, Angle 90 Branch, in Auchi, Edo state, on July 29 have left many questions unanswered.

ValChi Fast Foods and Bar is owned by Valentine Oyemike, a candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 house of assembly election in Delta state.

Esther Osaghae, the deceased’s widow, has called on Kayode Egbetokun, the inspector-general of police (IGP), to investigate the controversy surrounding her husband’s death.

Speaking during a press conference organised by the Akin Fadeyi Foundation (AFF), a non-governmental organisation that took up the case, Esther expressed her frustration over the incident.

Esther, who had been married to Fidelis for just a year and was nursing a two-month-old baby, recounted that on July 28, Fidelis left home after receiving a call from Oyemike at around 2:30am, telling her not to lock the door as he would return shortly.

When she woke up at 5am and realised that her husband had not returned, she attempted to contact him but received no response.

Subsequent calls to his workplace were initially answered by Tracy, a supervisor, and she told Esther that “the situation was under control”. Then, Tracy stopped taking her calls.

“I didn’t understand what she meant. I called endlessly, but this lady didn’t pick up. Later, at about 6am, a strange number called me. I picked it up, and it was my husband’s boss, Valentine Oyemike,” Esther said.

“He said I should come to Favour Hospital, Afasho. I asked him what happened to my husband, and he said he was alright. My sister, Omolara, said because I have a two-month-old baby, she would represent me. She went there.

“The only thing I know is that when I would later go to that hospital, I was taken to the mortuary, and I saw Fidelis. I wondered what he was doing there, inside the mortuary. I need to know what happened to my husband.

“Oyemike said Fidelis killed himself by drinking sniper at the office. How’s that even possible? Our marriage is just a year old, and we have a two-month-old baby. He is not unhappy. I am not saying Oyemike killed my husband. I am saying that my husband died at his place of work and has marks on his body. I want to know the truth about his death.”

‘WE DEMAND A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION’

According to Esther, Fidelis had worked for Oyemike for four years and was a manager at the time of his death.

On the night in question, he had come home briefly to “pick something” for his boss before returning to work. Esther said this was a normal routine, but that morning, she never heard from him again.

The incident was reported to the Auchi Police Station. However, Esther expressed dissatisfaction with the way the case was being handled.

She claimed that the divisional police officer (DPO) at the Auchi Division tried to dissuade her from demanding an autopsy and even insinuated that she and her sister might be responsible for Fidelis’s death.

“The DPO said that he and Oyemike were suspecting me and my sister of killing Fidelis. He said Oyemike was a reputable man,” Omolara said.

“Oyemike has not even come to pay a condolence visit to the family of his deceased employee, who supposedly died at his workplace.

“The DPO said that if we wanted to pursue the case, we would have to spend money; adding that an autopsy alone was N600,000.

“He kept shutting me up whenever I wanted to speak. But we are not afraid of an investigation. We want the case to be investigated.”

TheCable understands that the Akin Fadeyi Foundation has asked the IGP to take over the investigation and ensure a just conclusion.

Akin Fadeyi, the organisation’s founder, voiced his concern over Fidelis’s “mysterious” death.

“We want the IGP to give a marching order so that the mystery behind Fidelis’s death will be unravelled,” Fadeyi said.

“We have called for the transfer of the case. The fact remains that a gentleman whose marriage is just a year old went to work at 1pm, dashed home at about 2:30am, saying his boss asked him to come and bring something for him, which is the norm, and then dashed out again, telling his wife not to lock the door and that he was coming back soon.”

Fadeyi further criticised the “poor handling” of the case by the Auchi Police Division, stating that no arrests have been made and that the police were quick to exonerate Oyemike from any involvement in Fidelis’s death.

He raised concerns about the possibility of compromise in the case, given Oyemike’s influential status in the community.

“Oyemike is an influential person within Auchi, Edo state, and therefore we are not able to risk our vote of confidence in the investigation of the death of Mr. Fidelis within such jurisdiction for fear of interference and compromise,” the foundation’s petition to the IGP reads in part.

“We understand that there is a presumption of innocence until proven guilty before the eyes of the law in Nigeria. We urge the Inspector-General of Police to take over this matter and bring it to a just conclusion.

“We believe in the capacity of the Nigerian police to get justice for Mrs. Esther, and we are willing to provide the necessary support in this regard.”

OYEMIKE DECLINES COMMENT

When TheCable contacted Oyemike, he declined to comment on the matter.

“I have nothing to say to you. The media has done enough damage to the situation,” he said.

“The case is under investigation, and therefore, I cannot talk to you. Don’t bother about my side of the story. Publish whatever you want. We will meet in court.”

Abel Oguntula, the divisional crime officer (DCO) of the Auchi Police Division, also provided a terse response in a phone conversation with TheCable.

“There is nothing I can tell you. The case is no longer with me; it is now at the headquarters. It is a criminal investigation,” he said.

Commenting on the matter, Joel Moses, the police public relations officer (PRO) in Edo, told TheCable that an investigation into the case is ongoing.

“No one can tell the circumstances surrounding Fidelis’s death until the investigation is complete,” Moses said.

“In a controversial death like this, an autopsy is required to unravel the actual cause of death. The investigation is ongoing, and an autopsy has been ordered on the instruction of the commissioner of police.

“Once the investigation is complete, the police will make the findings public.”

When asked if any arrests have been made concerning the case, the police command spokesperson responded: “I cannot confirm that; I would need to find out.”