Five suspects who allegedly hacked a Benin based lawyer, Osobase Omo-Iyoha to death and buried him in a shallow grave to cover up the crime, have been paraded by police authorities.

The suspects identified as Osasu Osadolor Afro, Emmanuel David, Valentine Dibie, Uwadia Taiwo Uhumwagho and Saturday Imagbe, were among the 51 others arrested for cultism, armed robbery, kidnapping and rape.

Speaking on his involvement in the crime when they were paraded on Monday, the leader of the murder suspects, Osasu Osadolor Afro, alleged that the Omo-Itoha Osobase was killed in retaliation for a rival gang against his supporters at Evbuomodu, Uhunmwode Local Government Area of the State.

He alleged that the Lawyer was murdered in revenge after he led his thugs to attack him and his supporters before the incident at Evbuomodu Community in Uhunmwode Local Government Area of Edo State.

He alleged further that the deceased engaged him and his friend in a fight and during the process, he was hit on his head and he died.

“It was a case of two fighting and my friend hit a stick on his head and he died.

“I was not the one that buried him but my friends did. He was buried very close to my house.

“The guy (Lawyer) fought me and my friend at Evbuomodu before the incident. We didn’t mean to kill him. It was just a mistake. I said I was going to revenge back.

“It was a mistake. My friend buried him.

He also said that he “surrendered him to police after the incident”.

According to him, “We were at a beer parlour when the Barrister and his friends had disagreement with one of my Friends. He (the Barrister) threw a rode at my friend who dodged. Suddenly, the Barrister came out and his boys started fighting us.

“We retreated and launched a revenge. I did not kill him. It was my friend that killed him.

Another accomplice to the crime, Emmanuel David alleged that the victim was beaten to a pulp and abandoned for the dead while they left him in the pool of his own blood.

“I wasn’t there when the man died neither was I there when they buried him. But, I know that I was around, but, I didn’t touch the man. I was already at the station when I heard that the man was killed and buried.

Also speaking, Valentine Dibie, 24-year-old from Eka South West Local Government Area of Delta State, admitted that he took part in the murder of the victim with a machete.

He said the victim died the following day arising from the injuries he suffered during the attack, adding that he learnt about the Layer’s death when he was in police custody.

He also alleged that the suspect simply identified as Mr Erhun that hit the victim’s head with a plank, is at large.

“We used a cutlass to attack the man (Lawyer) behind. When the beaten became too much, Osasu and I fled the scene.

“The following day, we asked after the injured man (Lawyer), they told us that the man managed to walk away when he regained his consciousness, unknown to us that they went back to murder and bury the man in a shallow grave.

“The police arrested me at Ologbo Community in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State.

“I later discovered that while I was in police custody, the suspects who killed the lawyer, confessed to the crime.

“But the truth of the matter is that the man who hacked the Lawyer to death is Osasu boy simply called Erhun now (at large).

But, the Commissioner of police, Mr Babatunde Johnson Kokumo said Osasu Osadolor and his members were arrested by police operatives attached to the Command.

Kokumo disclosed this while addressing journalists during the parade at the State Command headquarters on Monday in Benin City.

He listed items recovered from the suspects to include one Lexus 330 SUV Reg. No. BEN-374-CU, one Audi 80 S/Car Reg. No. CA-956-BEN, one new cutlass with blood stains, two shovels and one hoe.

Kokumo said the police under his watch has recorded tremendous breakthrough within a short possible time and would want to build on the achievements of his predicessor.

“I have come to build on the good achievements of my predicessor. I also want to say clearly that we will encourage Community participation in policing in Edo State because this is of course will be in total agreement with the current philosophy of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Mohammed Abubakar.

“So, we will leave no stone unturned to ensure that the Communities are actively involved in the policing project”, he said.

The police also arrested seven kidnappers including a gang who abducted a Septuagenarian identified as Mrs Mary Christiana.

Kokumo alleged that the victim was kidnapped and taken into a forest where men of the anti kidnapping Department of the police Command with the support of host Communities.

Part of the money was recovered from the kidnap gang arms and ammunition.

TheNewspad.com reports that the death of Omo-Iyoha Osobase, has created a historic nightmare for the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Edo and Delta States branches who had threatened to withdraw legal representation from the suspects when they appear in court for trial.

In the meantime, the Chairman of NBA, Benin branch, Mr. Collins Ogiegbaen has urged the State Government to takeover the property where the murdered suspects were arrested alleging that the residential building has become a den for suspected criminals.

He disclosed this when he and some members of the Association accompanied police operatives and the arrested suspects to the scene of crime where the corpse of murdered Layer was exhumed for medical examination.

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