Frank Wakili, a resident of Benin, is seeking justice for his wife, Vivian Frank Wakili, who was allegedly murdered by three community touts at their home on August 6, 2022, in front of their four children.

He told FIJ that they had come to kill her at their home at about 3:30pm in the afternoon. The kids, he said, were present when she was shot.

“She had a very big shop in the house where she sold food items. People liked to buy from her because she sold almost everything,” he said.

READ ALSO: Brothers Beat Neighbour to Death on Suspicion of Motorcycle Theft

According to Frank, she was cooking on the said day when the gunmen went to her store first. She was not in the shop, so they came through the front gate of the house.

“Normally, since she sold food items, even when the shop was locked, people sometimes came to the house to say they wanted to buy something. She would just come to the gate and attend to them.

“So, the killers told one of the kids to go and call her, that someone wanted to buy something. Innocently, she went to the gate to attend to them; they immediately shot her.

“The kids are traumatised, especially the last child. Any little thing, she keeps screaming ‘don’t shoot me’. The other ones are so moody; they can’t even attend school this term. The first is 11 years old, the second one is nine, the third is seven and the last is just two.

READ ALSO: Police Harass Woman on Her Hospital Bed ‘On DIG Johnson Kokumo’s Orders’ Over Land Dispute

Frank said that he thinks the killing was an act of jealousy, because the guy in the footage with the mask once lived very close to his house.

“The guy was here for like two years before he moved out, so I was surprised to see him in the footage. It wasn’t difficult for me to recognise him because he lived in my area for up to two years.”

Idris was easily identifiable because, according to Frank, he has bowlegs and walks with much pride.

“He was the only one that wore a mask among them; that’s enough to know that he is someone my wife knows,” he told FIJ.

“After Idris moved out of my street, people in the neighbourhood claimed to have seen him with guns on different occasions.

“I don’t know if someone offended him before he left the neighbourhood, or he had any beef with me. I really don’t know. Or maybe my wife did not sell anything to him on credit, I don’t know, but I know he’s the one who led them to my house.

“After the incident, I went to the State Police Command in Benin on August 7; I played the CCTV footage for them, and the case was assigned to the Anti-cultism unit and the anti-kidnapping unit.

“I did my own research, I paid people for information, and I was able to get the numbers of the killers as well as the picture of the particular shoe one of them wore to the house, which I gave to the police.

“The guy who shot her happened to be the bush inspector for the community. I don’t sell land, so I don’t understand why they just decided to come and kill my wife. The community where I built my house is different from their own community. My house is at the boundary, so we see them when they fight and kill one another.

“Of recent, their gang leader by the name Enoyi Osaro was arrested by the police because people wrote petitions against him after a series of killings. Up to 10 people have been killed so far.

“Last year, he had some fights with the police, and I still don’t know how he was able to get out of it.

“I genuinely want justice for my wife now that we have all these leads and pieces of proof.”

In a conversation with FIJ, Chidi Nwabuzor, the Edo State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), stated that there are still a few suspects at large.

“It is the command’s duty to find them, apprehend them, and then the case will be ready to be brought before a judge,” he said.

However, he explained that although the command is still working on how to find the other culprits, they might soon charge the suspects they had already apprehended to court.

He assured FIJ that the case would soon go to court.