A grandmother in Benin is on the run for allegedly torturing her granddaughter to death
Vera Oyemwen Efe, a 16 year-old female student of Idia College, Benin City, was a gifted child. She was popular in the school because of her proficiency in dancing, writing and acting.
She had written three yet to be published short stories titled: College Days of Ada, Accra Marine, and The Terrible Mistake. She had also written many songs that are yet to be produced. Her dream was to become an actress, a musician, or an author. But her dream was recently cut-short Efe was allegedly tortured to death by Roseline Igiebor, her maternal grandmother, who ordered a neighbour to tie her down with a rope.
Before the ugly incident occurred, Efe, the first daughter of Stewart Efe, one of the local tabloids published in Benin, was living with her father because Osaretin, her mother, had separated from her father and had remarried. But when Igiebor, the grandmother, returned to Nigeria from the United States about one year ago, her daughter’s three siblings requested to go and pay her a visit after which they refused to return home in spite of the pressure from their father.
Trouble began sometime in July, this year, when Efe reportedly went for a burial ceremony where she spent about four days without the permission of her grandmother. When she returned on July 23, her grandmother was angry with her. In the early morning of the following day, July 24, this year, Efe, who was residing at No 14 Oviahon Street, off Aisosa Street, Okhoro, in Benin City, with her grandmother, got a telephone call at about 4 a.m.
Angered that Efe was having a telephone conversation in the wee hours of the day, Igiebor ordered Efe to hand over the phone to her. Rather than obey the instruction, Efe allegedly removed the sim card and gave Igiebor an empty phone.
She had written three yet to be published short stories titled: College Days of Ada, Accra Marine, and The Terrible Mistake. She had also written many songs that are yet to be produced. Her dream was to become an actress, a musician, or an author. But her dream was recently cut-short Efe was allegedly tortured to death by Roseline Igiebor, her maternal grandmother, who ordered a neighbour to tie her down with a rope.
Before the ugly incident occurred, Efe, the first daughter of Stewart Efe, one of the local tabloids published in Benin, was living with her father because Osaretin, her mother, had separated from her father and had remarried. But when Igiebor, the grandmother, returned to Nigeria from the United States about one year ago, her daughter’s three siblings requested to go and pay her a visit after which they refused to return home in spite of the pressure from their father.
Trouble began sometime in July, this year, when Efe reportedly went for a burial ceremony where she spent about four days without the permission of her grandmother. When she returned on July 23, her grandmother was angry with her. In the early morning of the following day, July 24, this year, Efe, who was residing at No 14 Oviahon Street, off Aisosa Street, Okhoro, in Benin City, with her grandmother, got a telephone call at about 4 a.m.
Angered that Efe was having a telephone conversation in the wee hours of the day, Igiebor ordered Efe to hand over the phone to her. Rather than obey the instruction, Efe allegedly removed the sim card and gave Igiebor an empty phone.
The action angered Igiebor the more and she immediately ordered Ovbohan, one of her sons, who incidentally is a twin brother to Efe’s mother, to beat her up with a belt. As a result of the beating, Efe allegedly threatened to pack out of the house and promised never to return to her grandmother’s home. The statement provoked Igiebor who called a neighbour to help her tie Efe down so as to prevent her from escaping.
Following Igiebor’s instruction, Efe was tied with a rope on her legs, her hands and across her neck.
While the exercise was going on, Igiebor was said to have gone to the kitchen to prepare breakfast and at the same time, prepare for Sunday service while Ovbohan, one of her siblings, was washing clothes.
When the torture became too much for Efe, Esohe, another of her siblings noticed that she was very weak and drew the attention of her grandmother and who claimed that nothing was wrong with her and that she was only pretending. When Igiebor finished cooking she ordered that the rope tied around her neck and hands be loosened to enable her eat while her legs remained tied.
After preparing the meal, Igiebor left with her two other grandchildren for church while Efe was left in the house with her legs still tied. Not pleased with the murderous act, one of their neighbours allegedly called Efe’s biological mother on phone to inform her about her daughter’s plight. Efe’s mother immediately ran down to the scene, sent for Efe’s father and Igiebor.
By the time they came down, Efe had become unconscious and was rushed to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, UBTH in Benin City. Unfortunately, Efe was already too weak due to the torture as she died in the hospital.
Efe’s father who was shocked by the death of his daughter told Newswatch that he met his daughter’s lifeless body at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital and that it was one of the doctors there that told him that Efe died of strangulation.
He said the matter has been reported to the Okhoro Police Station and that the grandmother and the neighbour who helped with the tying have since fled for fear of being lynched by youths of the area.
