TELL Magazine

Dominion Okoro, the 25-year-old suspected killer of Maria Oredola Igbinedion, mother of former Edo State governor, Lucky Nosakhare Igbinedion, has confessed to the murder of the 85 years old woman.

Okoro, who hails from Calabar in Cross River State, was arrested Tuesday December 16 in Calabar, Cross River State, where she had fled to after committing the heinous crime.

Giving a blow-by-blow account of what happened on the fateful day, December 2, Okoro told newsmen on Tuesday when she was paraded by the police in Benin, that she hit her with a stool on the head, killing her instantly.

Okoro, who was hired as a caregiver to the octogenarian a year and three months before she allegedly murdered her, admitted making away with ₦100,000, a wristwatch, and jewellery from her residence.

She said: “I killed Mama (Madam Maria Igbinedion) to carry her money. She did not offend me. While she was sleeping on her bed, around 12:01 a.m. on December 2, 2021, I used a stool to hit her on the head and she was shouting for help, but only the gate man was around and he did not hear the shout. Mama later died.

“I waited till 4 a.m. on December 2, 2021, before leaving the house with Mama’s ₦100,000, wristwatch, and jewellery. I escaped to Cross River State, but I was later arrested by the police.”

Mama Igbinedion was buried in Benin on December 10, after a funeral service at St. Augustine Catholic Church in the Edo state capital.

Okoro’s elder sister, Patience, was first arrested by the police before she was nabbed and moved to Benin for thorough investigation.

Patience Okoro said neither she nor their parents in Cross River State knew anything about the crime committed by Dominion.

Edo State Commissioner of Police, Phillip Ogbadu, revealed that it took time, efforts and money to arrest Dominion, with no fewer than 20 persons first nabbed, before the prime suspect (Dominion) was arrested and she confessed to committing the crime.

Ogbadu stated that being a state crime, the suspects in the high profile murder would soon be charged to court, after thorough investigation. He said Dominion was being specially worked on as he had earlier interrogated her more than three times, stressing that to every crime, there would be parties.

Awau from the Igbinedion murder case, Ogbadu disclosed that in the fourth quarter of this year, 427 suspected criminals were arrested for their involvement in kidnapping, armed robbery, murder, burglary and other crimes, with large cache of arms, ammunition and money also recovered from them. He declared Edo State a no-go area for criminals, warning them to steer clear.

The police boss admonished residents to be security conscious during this festive period and never to display expensive items in their vehicles, in order not to attract armed robbers.

He also urged them to ensure that their vehicles were tracked, so as to recover them faster, in case of losing them to criminals.

Ogbadu appealed to residents to always provide the command with timely and useful information about criminals in their midst, while assuring that their identities would be adequately protected.

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