Omonfonwa a senior lecturer at University of Benin (UniBen) was killed at his Evbumore residence by armed robbers on Wednesday morning.
The assailants looted others and engaged security agents in a gunfight before they fled. One robber was shot dead by police, the other 5 are still at large.
Mr. Michael Osasuyi the Public Relations Officer of the university, has disclosed that Mr Omonfonwa was the head of examination officer for the Faculty of Education.
He said, “It is a very big blow to the university; the vice-chancellor is saddened and commiserates with members of the family. We pray and hope that everybody puts hands together to support the government and the police.
The police cannot perform magic; they work with information. Anybody who has useful information should give it to the law enforcement agencies so that they can comb the area and restore peace to the state.”
State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Johnson Kokumo, in a press interview verified that the Benin police had been promptly deployed to the scene following a distress call at 1.14am.
“In the ensuing gun battle, one of the marauders was shot dead, while others escaped. Sadly, Dr Godwin Omofonwa, a lecturer in the Department of Education, University of Benin, died from gunshot wounds he received from the robbers.
This particular incident is an isolated case as crime has been on a downward trend since my assumption of office as the Commissioner of Police, Edo State. The police have been on the trail of this particular group of hoodlums, who have been troubling the vicinity, until one of them met his Waterloo,” he added.
There were four mobile phones recovered from the dead robber three belonging to the victim and one a Nokia belonging to a Precious. Other items recovered included a single-barrelled gun, an iron cutter, one live and 12 expended cartridges and a torch.