Living is now difficult after Efosa •Wives, children of man killed by herdsmen cry out

Efosa Omoregie, 45, was from Oben, Orhiomwon Local Government Area of Edo State. He also lived in the community that shares border with Delta State until last month. Nature smiled at him as a proud son of Oben, a community reputed to possess the largest gas deposit in West Africa. With his little education, he managed to get a job as a contractor to the largest gas company in the area, Seplat. He was also a farmer with large plantations in the largely agrarian community.

He was not particularly rich; he could not, but he did not live in penury. He helped himself with a bungalow built inside the community and was said to have done well in providing for his three wives and nine children. He even had a car, a Mercedez Benz C-Class parked outside his humble apartment.

Those, who knew him quite well said he took adequate care of his aged mother, a widow. As for his children, he went as far as sending some of the senior ones to a private secondary school in Sapele, Delta State, preferring them to the public schools in Oben. He was also described as a youth leader and an influential politician.

For Efosa, life however came to an abrupt end Thursday, August 30, in a unexpected manner. President of a youth group in the community, Kelly Ogbeide, said attempt by the late Efosa and some other youths to stop herdsmen from grazing in their farmlands led to his death. He said, “some of the youths saw herdsmen around the farm. The cows were eating their crops, so they tried to resist the cows from destroying their crops. While they were doing that, the herdsmen started shooting. The man, Omoregie, started running away and while he was running, he fell. When he fell, a herdsman shot him.”

According to his elder brother Godwin Omoregie, the late Efosa and some youths had entered a bush in the community to look for where they could farm. He said, “as they were checking the land to see where they would farm, the herdsmen suddenly opened fire on them. I learnt they ran from them as they did not anticipate an attack and had nothing to repel the herdsmen. I was also told that the herdsmen cornered them and pointed the gun at my brother.

“We have gone to the police station and to the army. It was through their effort that we were able to retrieve his body. They were the ones who brought out my brother from the bush. The DPO here brought in SARS from Benin. They, however, did not do anything when they saw the herdsmen and their cows in the bush.

“This is shocking and we are annoyed by this. Up till now, no arrest has been made. It will interest you to know that up till now, there are still herdsmen grazing freely in Oben. They left their places and came to our farmlands. They pursued our wives and children from the bush. Long ago we had told them to leave our farms and bushes but they refused. They are destroying farmlands and damaging crops. This is our land and some people came all the way from far distance to harass and intimidate us in our home.”

He lamented the condition of the late Efosa’s family, adding that “I have serious fear as to the welfare of his three wives and nine children. He said, “since the unfortunate incident, things have been very difficult and one can only imagine how difficult things could become later. Efosa was the breadwinner of the family. He was the one taking care of his family and even our mother, who is a widow. Who will take care of the children now? We don’t know. I’m appealing to the federal, state and even Orhionmwon Local Government Area to come to our aid.

One of the wives left behind by the deceased, Mrs Ruth Efosa Omoregie, also expressed similar concern as to the welfare of his children and other family members left behind by Efosa. The woman, who is a farmer, said “my late husband was a hardworking man. We cry everyday since he was killed and living has been very difficult now. I’m begging people to help me take care of my children and pay their school fees. I don’t know where I will get money to pay their school fees.” For one of the sons of the deceased, Lucky Omoregie, a Senior Secondary School (SS1) student, scholarship to complete his education is his preoccupation. “I want government to help give us with scholarship,” he said.

A little succour, however, came the way of the family of the late Efosa Omoregie as some politicians led by the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Orhiomwon Local Government, Nosa Ogieva-Okunbor led some other party leaders to Oben to pay them a condolence visit. Ogieva-Okunbor, who regretted that enough effort was not being done to apprehend the killer of the late Efosa, donated a bag of rice and cash to the family members of the late Efosa. He also promised to look after the education of one of the children the deceased left behind.

The police have, however, denied that nothing was being done on the matter as alleged by many in the community. Spokesman for the Edo State police command, DSP Moses Nkombe said if the people of the community had furnished him with the information they have on the matter, he would have been able to provide update on the matter.

“Police cannot just sleep over the matter; it’s not just possible. Remember we took three patrol vehicles to the community. If I know the situation, I can reach the Commissioner of Police to take necessary action. I wish they can come so that I can help. Let me know the officer in charge of the case and I will find out from the IPO effort being put in place. I will also be able to know if arrests have been made or not.”

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