The family of Mr. Matthew Akioyamen, Thursday, cried out to President Muhammadu Buhari, Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki, and the Inspector-General of Police, Muhammed Adamu to urgently bring to book those who murdered their son (Matthew Akioyamen).
Mr. Akioyamen, 38, a former staff of Okomu Oil Palm Plc, was allegedly murdered December 1st, 2020, in the company’s farm while working.
Addressing newsmen in Benin, counsel to the family, Ohioma George, Esq. said late Akioyamen left his official apartment given to him by the company to work in the farm on December 1st, 2020, and didn’t return home, adding that the next was that his lifeless body was found with series of matchets all over his body.
According to George, Esq., when the body was found, the company, without having a recourse to the police, took the body to their private mortuary without letting the late man’s family to know, adding that the company has been handling the case since then with levity.
“The young man was dastardly murdered at Okomu Oil premises. He was employed by the company in 2015, and since then he has been working with the company (Okomu Oil). Because of his meritorious work, and the way he handled his job, he was given an official accommodation in Okomu Oil premises. he was also given a motorbike, to enable him properly carry out his work as he was one of the supervisors.
“On this faithful day, he went to work sometime on the 1st of December, 2020, and never returned to his house in the company. Efforts were made to look for him, and eventually he was seen dead with matchets all over his body. After he was discovered dead, our pains, our apprehension, is the way and manner the company went about this matter.
Wife of the slain man, children and elder brother.
“The company, without recourse to the police took the corpse to their own mortuary, a mortuary and a hospital that’s not government-owned, and not recognise by government, and dumped the deseased lifeless body on the ground. Ever since, the company didn’t deem it fit to pay visit to the family of the young man that was killed,” he said.
George added that since the incident happened and the family became aware, the company has not deem it fit to visit the family of the slained man, alleging that management of the company in connivance with the police are trying to downplay the murder case.
“Justice must be done. We deserve justice, the family deserves justice, the children are crying for justice. How can the deseased be murdered in cold blood with three kids, wife, mother, and grandmother. He is the bread winner of his family,” the Counsel said.
On her part, wife of the slain man, Mrs. Osaiyobowen Akioyamen, said since the incident happened, the family has been pressurising the police to investigate the matter but unfortunately they show no readiness, just as she lamented that the police have not made a single arrest of her husband’s killers.
She said the only persons arrested on the case were arrested by Okomu Oil Palm and not the police.
“I am crying out for justice. I want justice for my slained husband, I need justice for the father of my children that was murdered. He was the breadwinner of the family. he has mother, he has grandmother,” she cried for help.
Reacting, Police Public Relations Officer in Edo State, SP, Chidi Nwabuzor, said preliminary investigation had been done and that seven persons were arrested, adding that investigation is still on.
Also reacting, Public Relations Officer, Okomu Oil Palm Plc, Mr. Fidelis Olise, said the slain young man, until his death, was not a staff of the company, adding that the company (Human Assets Centre) that contracted him was doing everything possible to compensate the family.
“The said Matthew Akioyamen was not a staff of Okomu. He works for a company called Human Assets Centre. We sympathise with her for losing her husband but we don’t work with emotions and sentiments.
“I am aware his company has been cooperating with the police on the investigation, and they even paid for autopsy which was supposed to be conducted, and the company cannot force the police at their pace. It is the duty of the police to do a thorough investigation, and police is investigating. We sympathise with her no doubt. It is very clear, he does not work with Okomu and I am aware that the company is already working on what they need to do,” he said.