Pregnant wife inconsolable as hunter allegedly shot dead by bossom friend

The peace of Oghada in Uhumuode Local Government Area of Igbanke, Edo
State was truncated following the alleged killing of a popular hunter by his
colleague while they went hunting.
The remains of the 52-year-old hunter, identified as Romanus Omorotiomwan,
were discovered in the bush, with a deep bullet hole in his left shoulder.
There are, however, insinuations that life could have been snuffed out of
Roman, as he was popular called, in order for his alleged assailant to evade
payment of a loan.
The late Omoriotiomwan ,was reportedly last seen, penultimate Monday,
preparing to go hunting. Sunday Vanguard gathered that at about 7am, his
friend, (name withheld), a native of Onuiyi -Omuola , a neighboring community ,
announced his arrival with the screeching of his motorcycle tyres . Together,
they both mounted their respective motorbikes, with Omoriotiomwan’s
pregnant wife wishing her husband a good catch as she bid him goodbye,
unknown to her that she was bidding him the final farewell. Hours later, the
unprecedented visit of some members of the community and other unknown
persons at the Omotiomwans compound, arouse his pregnant wife’s suspicion
that all was not well. Her fear was confirmed when the visitors revealed that
her husband’s lifeless body had been moved from the bush to the morgue.
This bomb shell was greeted with wailings and tears ,with sympathizers
doing all they could to console the pregnant widow. The question on everyone’s
lips was, how did it happen?
Information at Sunday Vanguard’s disposal revealed that the hunter was
allegedly shot dead by his bosom friend while they were alone in the bush.
A relative, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Sunday Vanguard : “ After
my uncle and the friend left that morning from my uncle’s house, they went
to the friend’s place where he picked Osagie, who is not a hunter, and
headed to the bush.
“ We were told that when they got to the bush, my uncle’s friend told Osagie
to wait at a particular place while he and my uncle went inside the bush. At a
point, Osagie said he heard a gun shot and, after a while, the friend rushed out
and took him to the spot where he said he found my uncle in the pool of his
blood stone dead. Therafter, he said my uncle’s friend asked him to follow
him to the station where the friend told the police men that my uncle shot
himself. The police followed them to the bush and removed my uncle’s
remains to the morgue.
“ All we want is justice. We would like the police to investigate and find out
how possible it is for a man with a double barrel gun to shoot himself in the
left shoulder when he is not with a pistol. The police should also ask the friend
why he asked Osagie to wait in a particular place while he went into the bush
with my uncle. They should also ask him why he took Osagie who is not a
hunter with him on that day.
“ Before now, my late uncle had been demanding for his money from the friend.
At a point, it even led to a verbal confrontation . We believe he killed him in
order not to pay the loan he took from my uncle. We are therefore appealing to
the police to carry out a discreet investigation that would unearth everything”.
Widow’s lamentation
When approached by Sunday Vanguard, the widow, MrsJustinaOmotiomwa ,
was too weak to speak. She clung to her three-year-old son as if her existence
depended on him . After what seemed like ages, she broke down in tears ,
lamenting : “ How am I going to continue to live without my loving husband?
This was man who left the house without any sign of ailment, only to be told
he was dead hours later. Who did I offend ? Who did this to me? My husband
was a peace-loving man and kind-hearted. He had dreams of a better tomorrow
for his children. He was too gentle to a fault. If I had known his friend’s visit
was an invitation of death, I would have prevented him from leaving the house
that day. He left with a promise to come back and eat. Now, who will eat the
food I prepared for him ?” At this point, she burst into tears.
Police commence investigation
Meanwhile, policemen at Igbake Division, where the case was reported, have
arrested the friend and Osagie. They were transferred to Abudu Area Command,
next day from where they were transferred to the Edo State Criminal
Investigation Department, SCID, on the directive of Edo State Commissioner of
Police, Mr Samuel Adegbuyi , who ordered crack detectives from the homicide
section to unravel the circumstance surrounding the murder and bring the
perpetrators to book.