Two widows demand justice over husband’s alleged killing in Edo

Two widows whose husband was allegedly killed and buried in Obagie N’ Evbousa community, Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State, have appealed to Governor Monday Okpebholo to intervene and ensure justice.

DAILY POST reports that the widows, Mrs Joy Azuka, 28, and Mrs Favour Azuka, 34, made the appeal when they staged a protest at the secretariat of the Edo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, on Friday, October 30, 2026.

They alleged that their husband, Mr Sunday Azuka, and two others were killed and buried alive on November 4, 2024.

The widows called on Governor Okpebholo to intervene in the matter and ensure the prosecution of those allegedly responsible for the killing.

The women, who were accompanied by other family members, said their husband left behind two sons, Godsent Azuka, 6, and Godspower Azuka, 7.

Speaking to journalists, Favour Azuka said that since the death of their husband, the children, who were both in Kindergarten 3, had stopped going to school.

According to her, her husband was a bricklayer who went to the Obagie community with his colleagues to work on the day of the incident.

“I received a phone call on that day from a concerned citizen that my husband and his colleagues were attacked by armed men, killed and buried alive. The incident happened when he was preparing to bury his father-in-law. The person who called us later helped us to seek the assistance of a policeman, who went with us to the location of the attack to make arrests,” she said.

She accused thugs allegedly loyal to one Uyi Igiebor of being responsible for the killing of her husband, adding that the police officer who accompanied them to arrest the suspects was also shot.

Favour said the policeman survived the attack with severe injuries, adding that arrests were later made and that one of the suspects confessed to killing and burying the victims alive.

Also speaking, the second widow, Mrs Joy Azuka, alleged that some persons in government were working to secure the release of the suspect allegedly linked to the killing.

She said the suspect had offered the family N500,000 as compensation for the death of their husband and for the upkeep of the children, but that they rejected the offer.

Joy disclosed that the Inspector-General of Police, through the office of the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 5, Benin City, later issued an arrest warrant for Uyi Igiebor.

“One of the suspects who had confessed to partaking in the crime is currently in the custody of the Department of State Services, DSS. Our efforts to reach the government for intervention have continued to fail, as several visits to Mr Paul Akhere, the Special Adviser on Security to the Edo Governor, proved abortive. If we go to the Government House, they will say, ‘Come back later,’ and they can’t arrest the man,” she added.

When contacted, Paul Akhere, the Special Adviser to Governor Okpebholo on Security, said he was familiar with the incident.

Akhere said Uyi Igiebor had been arrested, adding that the killing was connected to a leadership tussle over who should become the youth chairman of the community.

He said N2 million was agreed upon as compensation for the family and for the upkeep of the children.

According to him, the children were to receive N1 million each, noting that he had only been able to pay N800,000 out of the agreed N2 million.

Akhere, who said the suspect denied involvement in the killing, added that he was, however, informed about a month ago that another person had made a confessional statement indicating that he knew something about the incident.