By Charles Igbo

Hundreds of people from all walks of life, from far and near, who converged at Ezedibia, Emekuku, Owerri North LGA, were, at once, shocked, weak and teary as they watched Brigadier-General Mohammed Buba Marwa, rtd,  Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, break down as the remains of his first wife, Her Excellency, Chief (Mrs) Zainab Salome Chioma, née Agbaso,Igolo Oha 1 were returned to mother-earth.

The steely mien of a General gave way to emotions. As he bid her a final goodbye, he and their four children held tightly to one another, and tears flowed.

From Mrs Marwa’s siblings, her children, her husband, it was a sobre and emotional farewell to a beloved sister, mother and wife.

Younger brother, Chief Martin Agbaso,  was so  emotional he couldn’t read the family tribute. Another younger brother, HE Jude Agbaso, former Deputy Governor of Imo State, tried to read it, but ended up, mostly, an emotional wreck.

Her husband, Brigadier-General Marwa, in a touching a tribute, recalled their love story which he disclosed, began 1974, in Porthacourt. It was love at first sight, he said. And they got involved in a whirlwind love story.

He had just been promoted to a full Army Lieutenant. Both were very young. He was 21 years old, and she was 18 years. They knew they were meant for each other.. And so couldn’t, and didn’t, wait to get older because, all they wanted was to stay together.

At that age, the Adamawa- born Lt.asked for approval from his Commander, because he was too young, in order to marry his Owerri-born Sweetheart.  They got married in 1975.

That marriage produced four accomplished children – three Lawyers and an Army Lt. Col. From the children, they also got 10 grandchildren.

Said Marwa: “She was not only a mother to the four children our marriage was blessed with ( and grandmother to 10 grandchildren), she was, also, a mother to me, and in addition, a sister,  wife, mentor, confidant, and adviser.”

He commended her for raising their children well with “the right morality and appropriate education that enabled them to grow into  responsible adults.”

He added: “Fathers may try, but ultimately,  it is mothers who do a better job at such duty.”

Marwa, also, acknowledged the role his late first wife played in his Military career. His words: “She played a very important role in my early career. She stood by me at all times, through thick and thin, sickness and in good health, good times and bad, when I was away on duty as in military operations or foreign courses. No doubt about it, she was a pillar of support to me.”

A former First Lady of Borno  State, Mrs Marwa, to the surprise of everybody, died in Abuja, in the morning of January 8, 2022.

Her body was laid to rest at her maiden home, Ezedibia, Emekuku, Owerri North, Imo State, on January 29, 2022. She was aged 66 years.

By Akinwale Kasali

The remains of Timothy Oludare Adegoke, the murdered Master degree student of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State, have been laid to rest. And, it was a flood of  tears which flowed freely from  his wife, children, families, friends and sympathizers.

Adegoke was murdered in his hotel room at the Hilton Hotels and Resorts in Ile-ife, Osun State on November 5, 2021.

The Proprietor of the hotel, who is also the Proprietor of the Oduduwa University, and the Maye of Ile Ife, Prince Rahman Adedoyin Adegoke has since been under Police custody. His son who runs the hotel for him has since been at large, and declared wanted.

The Late Adegoke, a Chartered Accountant, was from Eruwa, Oyo State. He was declared missing after he had checked in at the on Friday, November 5, 2021, a day  preceding his examinations scheduled for Saturday, November 6 and Sunday, November 7.

When his wife could not reach him on the phone, after he had earlier contacted her to inform her of his arrival, and the hotel where he was, she raised an alarm.

Following a Police investigation, money paid by Adegoke for lodging was traced to one Adedeji Tobiloba Adesola, who works in the hotel, and who had earlier denied that the Adegoke lodged there.

Meanwhile, late Adegoke, who was also a Director of Finance of a private firm, FJJ Company, was said to have frequented Ile-Ife between October 22 to October 24; October 29 to October 31; and November 5 to November 7, 2021 to take his MBA exams at the Obafemi Awolowo University and he had been always lodged at Hilton Hotels and Resorts.

“On Friday, November 5th, 2021, Adegoke Timothy Oludare contacted his wife (in Abuja) that he had arrived Ile-Ife and had lodged at an undisclosed hotel,” the deceased’s brother was quoted as saying.

“The following morning, her wife was calling Adegoke Oludare’s phone line to extend morning greeting but the line kept ringing with no one picking up the call. The line was ringing throughout the day (Saturday 6th, 2021).

“Adegoke’s wife contacted relatives and the family immediately sent a delegation to the examination centre of the OAU to confirm whether their son was in the examination hall. The examination coordinator checked the attendance for Saturday and Sunday (6th and 7th November) and they discovered that Adegoke Timothy Oludare did not come to take the exams.

“OAU Management and relatives proceeded to the police station to report the matter and investigation began. In the effort of the OAU Management, the chairman of the hoteliers’ association was contacted to reach out to hotels whether Adegoke Oludare lodged in any of the hotels but no positive response was received.“

On Wednesday, November 10th, 2021, Adegoke’s wife  discovered the receipt of the hotel in which her husband lodged. The name of this Hotel was Hilton Hotels and Resorts.

“The investigation panel proceeded to Hilton to enquire whether Adegoke Oludare lodged again in the penultimate weekend which was 5th November 2021. They met the proprietor of this hotel (Chief Rahman Adegoke Adedoyin) but they denied that Adegoke Timothy Oludare lodged at their hotel.

“On Thursday 11 November 2021, investigators revealed that Adegoke Timothy Oludare transferred the sum of N37,000 from his account to a lady whose name is Adedeji Tobiloba Adesola and the details of the transfer showed that the transaction took place on Friday, 5th November 2021 that Adegoke Oludare’s wife claimed that her husband reported to have lodged at a hotel in Ile Ife.”

“Upon tracking the phone number on the said account, it was discovered that the owner of that number was at that moment at the Hilton Hotels and Resorts owned by Rahman Adedoyin. Police proceeded to the venue and Adedeji Tobiloba Adesola was fished out to be a staffer of the said hotel.

When Adesola was apprehended, she confessed to have allocated Room 35 of Hilton Hotels and Resorts to Oludare the same Friday. She was arrested and whisked to the Police headquarters in Osogbo.

On November 12, 2021, her confession led to the arrest of six other suspects by the police including a self-acclaimed Alfa (Islamic cleric) who claimed to have left Ile-Ife for Ejigbo on the same Friday Oludare was said to have disappeared.

Before the Alfa’s confession, police tracking had shown that Oludare’s phone was moved from Ile-Ife to Ejigbo between 5 and 6 November, 2021.

Meanwhile, on November 13, Adedoyin was alleged to have mobilised three top lawyers to Osogbo  to monitor the investigation process.

The murder case is still at the front burner of discourse as investigation is still ongoing, but the Ife Traditional Council have suspended Prince Adegoke from its fold till he is exonerated from the alleged crime.