A Benin High Court yesterday remanded a suspected killer, Dominion Okoro (25), and her accomplices in a Correctional Centre in Benin City over the murder of Mrs Maria Igbinedion, mother of a former governor of Edo State, Lucky Igbinedion.
The accomplices were Patience Okoro, Francis Tagan, Ezekiel Danjuma, and Abraham Kuje.
The trial judge, Justice Efe Ikpomwomba, remanded the accused persons in Correctional Centre pending the advice from the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) from the state Ministry of Justice.
Earlier, the prosecutor CSP Peter Ngwumba, told the court that the suspects were charged with murder, accessory to murder, negligent act, causing harm, robbery among other offences.
He said the suspect was arrested on December 3, 10, and 13 in Benin, Edo State, Aba in Abia state, and Ikom in Cross River State respectively.
The prosecutor further told the court that the prime suspect Dominion Okoro, a cook to the deceased on December 2, in Ugbor, GRA Benin, killed her and stole her N100, 000, a golden wristwatch and necklace and absconded.
He said the suspect after committing the crime informed her elder sister, Patience Okoro, about the crime who instructed the suspect to run away with the stolen items.
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Speaking further, he said the third accused person, Francis Tagan aided the suspect to escape by conveying her to Agbor Park in Benin City to enable her to escape arrest after she had robbed and killed her madam.
He said Ezekiel Danjuma and Abraham Kuje, who were security guards to late Igbinedion conspired among themselves and unlawfully commit negligence of duty to protect the life and property of the deceased and allowed the prime suspect to escape from the gate after committing the crime.
The prosecutor urged the court to remand the accused in correctional centre pending advice from the DPP
Justice Ikpomwomba remanded the suspects in the correctional centre and adjourned the case to January 26, 2022.
