A somber scene unfolded in Benin City as Martins Oghenewore watched security agents demolish his family home, once envisioned as a place of peace and retirement. The action followed the discovery that the building had been the site of a horrific crime allegedly committed by his second son.
Speaking to AIT News, Oghenewore described the heartbreak of seeing his property destroyed. He stated that the house was constructed through years of hard work and was intended to be a legacy for his family, especially for his old age and that of his wife.
The property, located in the GRA, was linked to a brutal incident involving the murder of a woman and the harvesting of her organs. The suspect, Oghenewore’s son, was arrested in Lagos with human body parts in his possession.
He remains in custody and will be extradited to Edo State for prosecution.
Edo state authorities, upon getting the report, invoked anti-kidnapping laws to authorize the demolition of the structure. Officials maintain that the move was necessary to send a strong message against harboring or aiding criminal activity, even if unknowingly.
In his words: “I have taken my son to rehab several times, to Neuropsychiatric, to Aro. He doesn’t sleep at home. He’s on drugs. He drinks. So I wouldn’t understand his well-being, and now he has caused me this mess. The house I built, which I planned to leave for my old age and my wife to enjoy ourselves—that is what I’m witnessing being demolished right now. It’s a pity.
