By Adesina Soyooye
When a former two-time Governor of Edo State, Lucky Igbinedion, announced the death of his mother, Maria Oredelo Igbinedion, a couple of days ago, he did not make public the cause of death.
At 85 years, everybody assumed her death must have been old-age related.
But it turns out not to be true.
The mother of prominent sons, who was married to one of Nigeria’s wealthiest entrepreneurs, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, the Esama of Benin, was subjected to a painful death on December 2, 2021, in her home at Ugbo, Benin City.
She was, shockingly, strangled to death by her maid, hired by her children to take care of her.
It is not known, yet, if she lived alone with the maid said to be from Cross River State, but Mrs Igbinedion has been in a wheelchair since she turned 80 years.
The question is, was there not even a local security guard in the home of the mother of a former State Governor?
After her strangulation, the maid, it is reported made away with her money and jewelries. She has not been seen since then as she seems to have disappeared into thin air.
The late woman was the first wife of Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, and was the mother of Lucky Igbinedion, Bright Igbinedion,Charles Igbinedion and Mrs Mabel Amadi, nee Igbinedion.
