Mother of Austria-based woman killed by her Edo lover cries out, demands for justice

The Octogenarian mother of Austria-based Benin woman, Ms Rose Aifuwa, who was killed by her Edo lover/business partner Festus Aimufua, on Christmas day 2014 has cried out for justice over the gruesome murder. Rose was brutally killed and her body dumped at the Upper Mission road extension in Benin city in Edo state by her lover named Festus (pictured left).

Speaking with Vanguard, the woman said she was with her daughter the night before she was killed and had left her in the care of Festus only to be told the next day that her daughter's corpse was found on the streets. She described her daughter as the bread winner of her family and pleaded with the Governor of Edo state Adams Oshiomole and the police to see the matter to the very end...

"I was with my daughter at her residence at Upper Mission on 24 December, 2014. When it was 7pm I told my daughter that I wanted to start going home because I wasn’t feeling well, so she started laughing, calling me old woman. She asked me to come back the next day which was Christmas day. Festus, my daughter’s boyfriend, was with my daughter with some of his friends having drinks when I left them only for me to hear knock on my gate the next day that my daughter’s dead body was lying at a junction. Later, the people that came were trying to hide the matter from me by saying it was minor injury that she sustained. Some people said she was shot at the back while others said her intestine came out. The killer of my daughter said they both slept together and that when he wanted to leave my daughter held him insisting he must pay her the money he owed over some business transaction. It was at that point he knocked her down with his vehicle and dragged her on the ground which led to her death. My world has crumbled, I don’t know what to do, I am in hell without my daughter, she is all I had. Each time my daughter brought goods from abroad, I usually called Festus and after selling won’t remit money. I never knew the same man will eventually kill my daughter and leave me in deep pain. My daughter even rented an apartment for him (the suspect), spending over N250,000 in the process because they were going out. My daughter said he wanted to uplift his social status and went as far as buying him a car because her friends usually mocked her for going out with some one that was not up to her standard. Beside, she had started building a house for him at Aduwawa. Festus controlled most of her business dealings in Nigeria.  Recently, she complained to me that the bulk of her money unremitted was in the custody of Festus; so I advised her not to give him any other goods. My daughter trusted him and that was why she opened her heart to him by ensuring that he was in charge of her business. My daughter was the one that had been sustaining the family, now she is dead. My world has crumbled. I am begging the police and Governor Adams Oshiomhole to come and help me. They should ask Festus why he killed my daughter despite all my daughter did for his in life. I have never seen this kind of wickedness in my life. Instead of killing her he should have gone with the money. I am finished” she said amidst tears

Investigations revealed that late Rose and Festus who is married with two children, had started off as business partners about three years ago and became lovers in January 2014.  Rose, who was based in Austria, partnered with Festus to sell Tokunbo vehicles and spare parts in Nigeria which she shipped into the country. Festus was expected to sell and remit shares of the proceeds from the deal to her. He failed to do this and so when she came in December last year, she asked for her money which according to her family had accumulated to about N20million.

Rose invited Festus to her house at Upper Mission road on Christmas eve and he spent the night with her. In the morning of Christmas day, Rose woke up demanding for her money from Festus. Festus, according to reports, decided to run. He ran out of her house and jumped into her vehicle and as he tried to speed off, he hit her. Police investigations showed that after hitting her, he dragged her body on the floor for about 500m before dumping her corpse at Upper mission road extension.

Residents of the area who recognized her immediately contacted her family who got in touch with Festus and tricked him to go and report the case to the nearest police station, after telling him that Rose was alive. A confused Festus fell for the family's trick and proceeded to the Oregbeni police station where he reported a case of accident and not murder. He was thereafter arrested.

Edo state Police Public relations officer, DSP Joseph Edoigiawerie, while confirming the incident said the brother of the late Rose reported the case to them

“A case of murder was reported by one Elvis Omokhojie, that his sister, named Rose Aifuwa, was found lying dead on Upper Mission Extension junction, Aduwawa, Benin-City, and the cause of death unknown.  We have been to the scene of incident and taken the corpse to the mortuary. Our investigation led to the arrest of the man friend or lover because, according to the report, he (the suspect) was last seen with her” he said.

Meanwhile the Austrian embassy had written the Edo state Police command over the death of Rose who had traveled to Nigeria with her Austrian passport.