Two assassins, Osaro Okonoban and Lucky Oboh, have been arrested by the Edo State Police Command over the attempted murder of a Nigerian lady.
The assassins who were contracted by a United Kingdom based woman to assassinate her sister over a failed human trafficking deal, charged N5m for the deal and were given N500,000 advance payment before the police busted them in Igando area of Lagos.
The feud between 60-year old Gladys Osaigbovo-Omo and her younger sister one Augusta Osaigbovo, who was based in United Kingdom, began shortly after Gladys who was based in Nigeria pleaded with Augusta who was the eldest in the family to assist her daughter, Mercy Moon, and take her to UK since she was already there.
It was gathered that when Mercy arrived U.K after Augusta procured the necessary documents,
it dawned on her that her aunt, Augusta, was the leader of a prostitution ring and indeed had recruited her into prostitution in London but she refused to submit herself for the illicit trade.
The police said that Augusta then set Mercy up and handed her over to the UK police authorities. However, Mercy was lucky and she managed to escape from the police net and exposed Augusta.
Hence, Augusta was arrested and jailed. When she finished serving her jail term, she complained to her sister, Gladys, what her daughter, Mercy, did to her which ruined her in UK. She felt that her sister was supporting her daughter, Mercy, and she decided to eliminate her. She then hired assassins to achieve that aim.
Confirming the arrest of the assassins, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Imohimi Edgal told newsmen that the crux of the matter was a case of human trafficking gone awry.
“Gladys Osaigbovo-Omon and Augusta Osaigbovo are siblings, the eldest in the family being Gladys. However, a time came when Gladys begged her younger sister, Augusta to take her daughter, Mercy, overseas for a better life.
“She obliged and took Mercy to the UK. While at the UK, it dawned on Mercy that her aunty, Augusta, is a leader of a prostitution ring and indeed, had recruited her into prostitution in London. Mercy refused to submit herself for the illicit trade prompting Augusta to give her up to police authorities in the UK.
“Somehow, Mercy wriggled out of trouble and convinced the UK police that her travail was caused by Augusta who brought her to London with job promises unknown to her that she had ulterior motives. The police now turned against Augusta and jailed her.
“When Augusta finished her jail term, she complained to her sister Gladys, that her daughter, Mercy, whom she brought from the village to help, has ruined her. Feeling that her sister was supporting her daughter, she decided to procure assassins to eliminate her in revenge.
“When the DPO in Igando, CSP Taiwo Kasumu, got a whiff of the plans to kill Gladys, he planted two agents provocateurs namely, Igbinedion Ogbevon and Success Ehiosun, to play along with the hired assassins. The gang assembled and were paid N500,000 by Augusta as a mobilisation for the job.
“Together, they went to Benin City and identified their target, Gladys, after which they returned to Lagos and requested Augusta to give them the balance of N4 million. It was at this stage that they were rounded up.”
The victim, Gladys, who thanked God for sparing her life, said:
“I also thank the police for the good job they did. I thank God for His gifts. I am a cheerful giver. When the assassins came, I offered them drinks and water, I did not even know they were coming to kill me. It was after their arrest that one of them confessed that the drinks and water I served them saved my life. One of the hoodlums reported the matter to the police.”