Widow of cocoa farmer murdered in Cross River cries out for justice

A cocoa farmer identified as Monday Raphael Isek has allegedly been murdered by a rival, Ubi Ikpi Ofem.

The incident reportedly happened recently in a cocoa farm located at Block 2D/66 Ikom Cocoa Estate in Cross River State.

The rival allegedly claimed ownership of the farm, and reportedly used money to compromise security agencies over the matter.

There are also allegations that the rival sent one Bishop Collins Ogar with N400,000 to appeal to the wife of the deceased, Monday Raphael Isek. The widow was asked to use the money to bury her late husband and not to inform the police.

The bishop is said to have also begged the widow to accept the money and keep seal lips.

The deceased’s wife, Mrs Christiana Monday Isek, a mother of three, insisted that Ofem was responsible for the death of her husband.

She appealed to the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, and the wife of the governor, Bishop Eyoanwan Otu, to intervene so that Ofem can be arrested.

On how she arrived at her conclusion that Ofem killed her husband, Christiana said: “My husband left the house on the 26th of September 2024, saying he was going to the farm with his father, only for him to be killed by Ofem and his boys, who took his corpse and deposited it in the mortuary without my knowledge.”

Christiana said she called her husband’s line severally and a Police officer from Ikom Area Command took the call and lied to her that her husband was arrested.

She said she reported to the Ikom Area Command, and she was instructed to check the notice board. She did, but her husband’s name was not there. She said she waited till nightfall and later left, following other officers’ efforts to comb the cell for her husband.

Christiana said she summoned courage and went to the Area Command with her inlaws the next day, September 27. “When we got there, I saw the policeman I was talking with on the phone with Ubi coming out from the same vehicle,” she said, adding that the officer brought out her husband’s bag which she identified.

“He started telling me that my husband is dead and that Ofem went and carried him from the farm and deposited his body in the mortuary, and that Ubi told him that his boys went to the farm to see my husband’s corpse,” she said.

Christiana, who then requested to see her husband’s corpse, said the Police took her to the mortuary, “and they brought out the corpse; it was my husband”.

She added, “When we came back from the mortuary after they had killed my husband, they sent one Bishop Collins Ogar, who came with N400,000 to bribe us so that we would not take the matter to the State Police Command in Calabar, but we refused.

“They said we should use the money to bury my husband. They also said we should say it was my husband’s farm group that killed him.

“I want the Police to also ask Collins the reason why he brought that money to us to bury my husband if he doesn’t know anything about my husband’s death.”

The widow is calling for justice for her late husband, saying, “My husband was killed leaving behind three children and at this young age, I have become a widow.

“I am begging the Wife of the Governor, Her Excellency, Bishop Eyoanwan Bassey Otu, to help me. I don’t know where to start with these little children. Who will pay their school fees? Who will feed them? Should their future end just like that?

“I am also begging the IGP to help me unless he wants my husband’s death to be buried just like they’ve already buried the matter in the state. I only want justice for my husband who was gruesomely murdered. Let the person that killed my husband be brought to book.”

Reacting, Ofem denied his involvement. “I am very, very innocent about that allegation – very, very innocent,” he said.

However, he said the matter was with the Police, advising that further findings be made from one Barrister Sunny Mgbe, his lawyer.

When contacted, Mgbe said, “I am aware of the matter and I think it will be prejudicial to investigation for us to give you our own version of the story.

“Police are also on it; we were in an interview with the Commissioner of Police as stakeholders in the matter.”

But Police spokesman in the state, SP Irene Ugbo, could not confirm if the CP was aware of the matter.

“If it’s a case that is already ongoing, I cannot confirm because I don’t know whether they have reported to the Commissioner of Police.

“I have to find out. I cannot confirm a story that I am not aware of. If it is a petition, if somebody has complained, investigation would be going on until otherwise.

“So, you have to wait for me to confirm if truly they have reported the case to the Police, and investigation is ongoing.”

Widow of cocoa farmer murdered in Cross River cries out for justice