Pascal Arogorn Ibe
The family of Kingsley Obot , a member of
staff of Ellan Star Marine , has demanded
investigation into the circumstances
surrounding his death on the premises of
the company .
The deceased’ s family urged the Rivers
State Commissioner of Police , Joseph
Mukan, to take over the investigation from
the Woji Police Division, where the case
was being handled .
The demands were contained in a letter
titled , ‘Gruesome Murder of Kingsley Okon
Obot by Ellan Star Marine Company ,
Agbaraja Bridge, Woji, in the Obio / Akpor
LGA ’ and dated June 1 , 2020 .
The letter , signed by the family’s lawyer ,
Paulinus Idio, said the deceased’s headless
corpse was found on the premises of the
company on May 5 , 2020 .
The family said the victim worked with
the company for about two months before
he was allegedly beheaded on its premises
during working hours and thrown into the sea.
Kingsley last spoke with his wife on the
telephone on May 5 , 2020 .
His younger brother , Donald , who visited
the company, was reportedly informed
that he went out to drink and never came
back .
“ About 30 minutes after Mr. Donald Obot
left the company premises, one Boco , a
staffer of the same company, called
Donald that the sea wave just washed up a
corpse and that he should come and see if
it was his brother ’s body . Donald rushed
back and identified his headless brother .
“ Subsequently , with the threat of the SARS
officers , they later brought Kingsley’ s head
within the company’s yard . The said body
was taken with the head to a mortuary in
Eleme the same day the brother visited the
company , which was on May 29 , 2020 and
also found out that a certain chemical was
used on the victim ’s body for speedy
decomposition ,” the letter read in part .
The family alleged that the company had
been threatening the life of the worker
who found the corpse , adding that many
other workers had died mysteriously on
the premises .
Boco , however , said his life was not under
threat .
The letter further read , “ Our client
reported the case at the Woji Police
Division and seven suspects were arrested,
but they were all released the same day
wherein our client alleged compromise, as
the IPO ( Investigating Police Officer ) was
constantly calling him to settle with the
company and allow the case to die naturally.
.“ We are not confident with the operation
of the Woji Police Division and we are
most fervently calling on you to take over
the matter and arrest the perpetrators and
investigate the case of murder and
conspiracy to cover up .”
A spokesman for Ellen Star Marine , Peter
Williams , however , denied allegations that
many other persons had died on the
company ’s premises.
Williams said the deceased was believed
to have been drunk on the day of the
incident and had fallen into the water .
He said the family demanded N 150 m
from the firm, which he said the company
could not afford .
Williams said , “ He was a ship officer of
the company . From what we learnt , he fell
into the water during the COVID- 19
lockdown and many , who had seen him
earlier, assumed that he might have gone
home. No one knew that he had fallen into
the water until one day when a barge was
pulled out.
“ The guys who usually worked with him
were invited by the police . They were
released and we discussed a settlement .
The family demanded N 150 m and we said
it was not done that way. We offered
N 500 , 000 and then N 1 .5 m, but the family
rejected it .”
The Rivers State Police Public Relations
Officer , Nnamdi Omoni , said he was not
aware of the case, but promised to find out
and call back.
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