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By Tracy Moses
The Edo State Government has expressed deep outrage over the brutal killing of Mr. Joel Umwueni Isibor, a popular Benin-based realtor and businessman.
The 42-year-old estate developer and boutique owner was reportedly murdered by yet-to-be-identified gunmen who stormed his store on Friday evening, two weeks ago, and shot him at close range.
Visiting the bereaved family on Sunday evening, the State Deputy Governor Rt. Hon. Dennis Idahosa, said he received news of the tragic killing with great shock. He conveyed the condolences of the state government and Governor Monday Okpebholo, who, he said, was profoundly pained by the loss of such a vibrant and industrious young man.
Idahosa assured the family that the state government was fully committed to ensuring that the perpetrators are swiftly apprehended and prosecuted. He warned criminal elements operating within the state to vacate or face the full wrath of the law, emphasizing that the Okpebholo-led administration would use every legal instrument available to crush criminality and make Edo unsafe for wrongdoers.
The Deputy Governor disclosed that the state would collaborate closely with security agencies to carry out a thorough investigation into the murder. He promised the Isibor family of the government’s unwavering support during this difficult time.
In an emotional response, Mrs. Joel Isibor, widow of the slain businessman, thanked the government for standing by the family. She described her husband’s killing as a savage act, revealing that the assailants had laid an ambush for him as he was closing his shop for the day. She noted that nothing was stolen from the boutique, indicating a clear case of assassination.
Mrs. Isibor, who described her late husband as the family’s primary provider, appealed to the government and security agencies to leave no stone unturned in unraveling the motive behind his murder.
Overcome with emotion, Deputy Governor Idahosa wept openly during his visit, mourning the tragic loss.
The killing of Mr. Isibor has drawn fresh attention to rising concerns about targeted assassinations in Edo State. Just last year, a similar tragedy struck when a local councilor was gunned down at his residence in Uhunmwonde Local Government Area. In 2022, another prominent businessman was assassinated outside his office in Benin City under circumstances that bore eerie similarities to Mr. Isibor’s death, with attackers fleeing without stealing anything, further raising suspicions of targeted killings.
The government’s renewed pledge to crush violent crime in the state is seen as a critical response to these unsettling incidents.