BENJAMIN OMOIKE
Distraught widow to slain birthday guest, Mrs. Vivian Ifeyinwa Obieshi, has picked holes with the accidental discharge position of the Lagos state Police Command, saying her husband, Mr. Chikere Obieshi, popularly known as Jesus Brother JB, was assassinated at the venue of the birthday.
She said her husband was killed because of his good nature, adding that he didn’t want to attend the said birthday party.
Mrs. Obieshi, who spoke to The Trumpet at her Egbeda home in Alimosho Local Government Area, described her husband as a loving and caring man, who would not hurt a fly.
According to her, when the celebrant of the party, one man popularly known as Asiwaju, invited her husband, he was initially skeptical in attending but changed his mind to only grace the occasion and not to waste time adding, “he said he would only go and give the celebrant his own token and return back home.”
The 28 year-old woman, who is just recuperating from a successful surgery, said amidst tears, “I am heartbroken and bitter, and what I want is justice for my husband, justice for JB, justice for JB Communications, because the only wrong thing he did was to be a brother’s keeper.”
“Anywhere he enters, he makes friends and tries to put smiles on the faces of everybody. This is why I am saying that this is not a case of an accidental discharge, this was a planned deal. I want justice for him and want all those involved to be brought to light and all those involved to be brought to justice.
Speaking further, Mrs. Vivian said, “My husband was invited to a birthday party by someone nicknamed Asiwaju before he was killed. I have never heard him tell me that Asiwaju invited him for a birthday, he was invited to the party just close to the bus-stop, close to our house and he called me. That place he was invited to, he doesn’t like going to such places but because he was somebody that likes honouring invitations, before he entered there he called me, he was like, let me just show my face, honour the invitation and come out, I’m coming in the next few minutes you will see me, I was like it’s okay.”
“But few minutes later, I started hearing there was a gun shot at the bus stop, at Da-Silver Club and the so-called Asiwaju that invited him for the birthday jumped over the fence, ran out and he is nowhere to be found, no communication, he could not even reach us the family or to tell us what happened or anything.
“So I feel this was a perfectly signed deal. Before the incident on Sunday, the celebrant had called my husband telling him of a birthday, later that night he called him that it had been cancelled, that they should move it till Sunday. If it was far, he wouldn’t go because he knows the condition of his family, he knows my condition. I believe vividly that this was a set-up.”
Describing a video, which she claimed she saw, “From the video that I saw, the Asiwaju was very anxious, he felt something was going to happen. My husband was spraying him with money, he was just standing uprightly, not moving, not dancing. Immediately the gun shot was aimed, he flew over the fence, took his car and left, so I believe this was a clear assassin’s case.
“I want the Inspector General of Police and everybody to critically look into this case, I want justice for me and for my children, I want justice for JB Communications. I know my husband’s soul is not going to rest until justice is served.”
The widow’s suspicion stemmed from the fact that when the incident took place, the police did not contact her; rather she called the police on the morning she was informed of JB’s death. She said all effort to reach her husband on the phone was unsuccessful, stressing that an officer later picked her call and she told the officer to give the phone to her husband out of disbelief.
“Just give the phone to my husband, I want to hear my husband’s voice, he was like you should come to the station. This was when I knew that something had happened.”
Earlier, the Lagos State Police Command had given a statement describing the incident as accidental and that the suspected killer policeman was not on duty as of the time of the incident.
“A shooting incident occurred at La Silver Bar, Egbeda which resulted in the death of two persons and injuries to others. Upon receipt of the information, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CP Abiodun Alabi, ordered an immediate full-scale investigation into circumstances surrounding the unfortunate incident.
“While investigation is ongoing, findings so far reveal that the shooting was accidental and involved an off-duty police officer, Inspector Mohammed Hussini, serving at the State Headquarters, Ikeja. Findings equally reveal that the off-duty officer is a friend of the celebrant, Ifeanyi, aka Obama, and was not at the party in any official capacity.
“Efforts are currently being intensified to apprehend the fleeing birthday celebrant, while the officer involved is expected to turn himself in anytime soon. CP Alabi has given firm assurances that everyone found culpable in the sad and avoidable incident will be dealt with in accordance with the provisions of the law,” the police statement read.
