Gladys Osaigbovo-Omon, yesterday narrated how suspected assassins allegedly sent by her United Kingdom-based younger sister to kill her, ‘repented’ after she served them food and treated them well.
It was learnt the assassins were allegedly contracted by Gladys’ cousin, Osaro, who the suspect, Augusta Osaigbovo, had asked to kill her sister for N4.5 million.
Unable to do it, he contacted a friend of his, Lucky Oboh, who got two men and brought them to Osaro, who gave them details of the victim’s address in Benin City, Edo State.
The victim alleged her problem with her younger sister started last year after the latter took her daughter, Mercy, to the UK.
She said unknown to them, Augusta wanted Mercy to become a commercial sex worker in that country and pay her returns, an idea the young woman rejected.
Gladys said: “I trained my younger sister. I took care of her. She is the only one educated in our family. I got married early and allowed my sister to live with me.
“I showered her with love and care. She was with me until she moved to Europe. I was not the one who sent her there, but I always prayed for her.
“Sometime ago, she came and said she wanted to take my daughter to Europe. She said that’s one way she could appreciate me for all the things I did for her. I agreed and I was happy that my sister was helping the family by taking my child to Europe.
“I didn’t know what happened between them in Europe, but I learnt she wanted my daughter to become a commercial sex worker and Mercy refused. They quarrelled and she said Mercy should pay her the money she spent to sponsor her abroad.
“I think my daughter was giving her money every month from the hair dressing work she did. But for some months, Mercy could not give her money because she sent money home for my treatment.
“My younger sister became angry and obtained fake documents (permit) for my daughter. She reported her to the police that she had fake documents. When the police arrested my daughter, she was questioned and she told them that it was her auntie who got papers for her.
“She said she did not know if they were real or fake since she was new in the country. So, the police nabbed my sister and she said my daughter gave her away. She said she would deal with her and that it was her body that would be sent back to Nigeria.
“I rebuked her and told her I expected them to live in peace since it was a family matter, but my sister was still not happy. I did not know that she could send people to kill me.
“She contacted my cousin, Osaro, to kill me for N4.5 million. Osaro came to my house with another man, Igbinedion, to greet me on July 17, but I did not know that they came to locate my home so that his accomplice could return and kill me.
“A few days later, Igbinedion and another man came. I prepared food for them. When they finished eating, I heard them saying I was a good woman and that they could not kill me. They told me later that Osaro contracted them that my sister wanted me dead.”
Parading the suspects, Police Commissioner Imohimi Edgal said the two men contracted to kill the victim were police informants, adding that they leaked the information to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Igando, Taiwo Kasumu,
Edgal said they were arrested on July 26.
He described the incident as a case of human trafficking gone awry.
Edgal hailed Mercy for refusing to be forced into prostitution and urged parents to be careful of those they gave their children to.
He said: “When the DPO Igando, CSP Kasumu, became aware of the plot to kill Gladys, he planted two agent provocateurs, namely Igbinedion Ogbevon and Success Ehiosun, to play along with the assassins. The gang were assembled and were paid N500,000 by Augusta Osaigbovo as a mobilisation fee. The assassins are Osaro Okonobom and Lucky Oboh.
“They went to Benin City in Edo State and identified their target, Gladys Osaigbovo, after which they returned to Lagos and asked Augusta to give them the balance of N4,000,000. It was then that they were arrested.
“Efforts have begun for the extradition of the principal suspect, Augusta, to answer for the crime of attempted assassination. We are working with the Interpol on this matter and will ensure justice.”
Osaro told reporters Augusta pressurised him to kill Gladys, saying he succumbed because she promised to do something good for him.
He said he was convinced to do the job because of the huge amount he would have made if the deal was concluded.
Osaro said: “When I told Lucky about it, he said he could not do it. Later I contacted Igbinedion, who agreed to kill my aunt for N1.5 million. We planned to give him N1.5 million from the N4.5 million we were to collect from my sister so that we could share the remaining N3 million.”
