By 
By Frank Oshanugor
Gunmen who dressed in army uniform have killed the owner of Osofem Oil and Gas Company, Mr. Olowufemi James at Ifo Area of Ogun State even as his manager and security officer have gone into hiding since the incident.
The father of three, it was learnt was about going home on Sunday February 6, after the sales for the day when the gunmen stormed the petrol station and ordered everyone to remain where they were or be killed.
Sources said the assailants who also wore face masks and hats, forced their way into the vehicle of the deceased and tried to drive off with him but he jumped out of the vehicle and they chased him. In the process of chasing him, he fell down and one of the gunmen used the butt of his gun to hit him on his ear before he was finally shot through the ear. He reportedly died before he could be rushed to the General Hospital Ifo by members of the public who rushed out after the gun men had driven in his vehicle.
According to the distraught wife of the deceased, Mrs. Omolayo James, “my joy has been taken away from me, I do not know my husband’s offence for killing him, he was an easy going person.”
The bereaved wife said she was at home around 10p.m. on the fateful day when she received a phone call from someone that she should be coming to Ifo that something terrible had happened to the husband, but she could not make it because it was late.
“It was one Mr. Gbenga who called me that fateful night to come to Ifo and I told him I could not make it because I have a baby of eleven months old. When I could not bear the pain anymore I had to rush to our neighbour’s apartment to accompany me down, but they also said they would not be able to go because it was late.
“While I was doing all these, nobody told me what happened to my husband, I was kept in darkness until his family members came and the news about his death was broken to me. Since then my children have been asking after their father.
“It was the following morning I was eventually told my husband had been assassinated by three assailants who dressed in army uniform, when he was about to leave the petrol station. I understand he was still talking to some of his staff when the gunmen stormed. He was chased down from his car and they demanded for his car key which he declined.
“Because he refused to give them his car key they pounced on him and beat him mercilessly. But he eventually succumbed to their pressure and gave it to them and they entered the vehicle with him and drove off, it was when they were going that my husband jumped out of the vehicle to escape but they went after him, it was in the process he fell down and he was shot through his ear. Before people could rush him to the hospital he had died and his remains was later deposited at the same hospital mortuary, while the assailants escaped with his car.”
The widow added that, immediately after the incident before he was rushed to the hospital, his security officer; one Sunny, removed the vault key from his pocket, returned to the station and reportedly took away large sum of money and since then he was nowhere to be found with the manager of the petrol station.
“The matter was reported at Ifo police station, I am appealing to the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, to please come to my aid. I do not want my husband to die in vain. My children are still young. I am also begging the State Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun to assist me because my husband was killed in his prime. He was the only one his family members were looking up to. He must not die just like that.”
The deceased brother, Mr. Olatunde Moses said the death of his elder brother was an unfortunate one to him and other family members.
According to him, he was also at the station when the assailants came and ordered everyone to stand still and threatened to shoot anybody that tried to move including the deceased.
“The assailants who were fully armed, had shot my brother dead before the arrival of policemen. The killers went away with his car.
“My brother was a gentleman, who hardly fight, but only God knows those who are after him. I do not know if it is crime to run a petrol station. We are waiting for the police investigation on the matter. And I hope that the suspects who killed him would be arrested and prosecuted without delay by the police.
“This petrol station was just inaugurated on Thursday February 3 2022. Now, he was killed four days after. People are cruel, he was an easy going person. We are suspecting the manager and the security officer of the petrol station, because since the incident occurred we could not find two of them. This is the area the police should beam their search light to and get the two men who are at large arrested.”
When our reporter contacted the Ogun State Command Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, he did not pick his calls and also did not return the text message sent to him.
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