EDO State was thrown into shock and mourning yesterday after Information and Orientation Commissioner, Calus Enoma who was declared missing on Sunday night was found dead in a hotel room in the state capital, Benin City.

Governor Oserheimen Osunbor and the Action Congress (AC) gubernatorial candidate in last year's general elections, Adams Oshiomhole, who defeated the former at the polls' tribunal recently, were among prominent indigenes of the state who condemned the alleged murder of the commissioner.

Government offices and the House of Assembly were in mourning yesterday amid indications that the late commissioner had a deep wound on his forehead apparently from gunshots.

There were also bloodstains in the room at the hotel. His body was said to have already swollen and stinking at the time police detectives forced the door to his room open yesterday.

According to police sources, the commissioner had driven himself to the hotel on Friday night in a car that bore no security number.

The commissioner, it was reliably gathered, had on the fateful evening dropped his police orderly at his residence before driving out alone.

Jude Nosagie, a lawyer and managing director of the hotel where Prof. Osunbor-led government officials, including the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Udom Ekpoudum and the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Chris Dega, went to see the corpse, told journalists that Enoma personally checked into the rest house last Friday night.

He explained that a worker of the hotel who checked in the commissioner was already helping the police in their investigations.

Enoma's corpse was later taken away in an ambulance from Stella Obasanjo Specialist Hospital for women and children marked ED60A08.

Ekpoudom told journalists that investigation into the incident was on.

In a statement, the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Joe Akhigbe, described Enoma's death as "shocking, sad and painful and a great loss to the government and people of Edo State."

The government further said: "Barrister Enoma was this morning found dead in a hotel room in the state capital, having left his residence at about 10.00 p.m. on Friday, 28th March, 2008, after receiving a telephone call from an unidentified caller."

"The governor is saddened and depressed by the unfortunate loss." It added that security agencies have begun investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death, while expressing the government's deep condolences to the commissioner's wife, Mrs. Julie Enoma, and members of his family.

The commissioner was declared missing in a statement by the Special Adviser on Communication and Public Relations to the state governor, Mr. Tony Ikpasaja.

The statement gave the AC and Oshiomhole a 48-hour ultimatum to produce the commissioner who was said to have received a phone call on Friday night and went out without his police orderly and since then was not seen.

Factional state chairman of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Dan Orbih, condemned the act and the way and manner he was killed. While condoling with the family and the people of Edo State, Orbih urged security agencies to ensure that the perpetrators of the act were brought to book.

His words: "It is a rude shock to me, I am also shocked about the way and manner the act was executed. A respectful young man who offered himself to the service of the state; to cut him short like that is very painful. Law enforcement agents must do everything possible to get the perpetrators of this act so that the public will have faith in them and people should be careful in jumping into conclusion until the outcome of investigation. Party members should remain calm and let law enforcement agents do their work."

It was a mournful Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Zakawanu Garuba, that The Guardian met in his office.

He said the House had earlier in the day passed a resolution calling on the commissioner of police to get to the root of the matter and that more security should be provided for public office holders in the country.

But the AC, while condemning the alleged kidnap of the commissioner, said it had already contacted its lawyers to commence legal actions against Ikpasaja for defamation and libel.

The state AC chairman, Tony Omoaghe, said: "Ikpasaja and Osunbor should be held responsible; their statement was pre-emptive; they knew what was going on and they started accusing the AC and Oshiomhole. It was a smokescreen, they knew what was going on.

"We have, however, instructed our team of lawyers, to as a matter of urgency, institute a multi-million naira action against Tony Ikpasaja, PDP, governor Osunbor, for damages and libel. In the interim, we urge our teeming supporters and members to remain calm and law-abiding."

Also, the National Conscience Party (NCP), in a statement by its national chairman, Osagie Obayuwana, condemned the content of the state government's declaration on the missing of Enoma saying: "There were ominous signs already on the horizon emanating from the 48 hours ultimatum that the out-going Edo State government had issued Oshiomhole 'to produce Barrister Calus Enoma alive and well or face dire consequences.'

"While we are saddened by the news of the demise of Mr. Enoma whose corpse is said to have been discovered today (yesterday) in a hotel room in Benin City, we make known our disappointment in the lack of experience displayed by Mr. Ikpasaja's conclusion obviously hurriedly arrived at even before the matter was reported to the police."

Both the majority and minority whips in House, Paul Ohonbamu and Comrade Philip Shuaibu, said it was an act of immaturity for a senior government official to be pointing fingers to some quarters even when the police were yet to be informed about the alleged kidnap.

According to Ohonbamu: "The whole issue is diversionary therapy. The Oshiomhole I know is a gentleman; when elections were rigged we did not fight, is it now that we have got victory that we will think of such a thing?"

They condemned the general insecurity in the state and called for the inclusion of the traditional institution on security matters.

According to the secretary of Oshiomhole Campaign Organisation, Osarodion Egie, a team of the AC lawyers, led by Rickey Tarfa (SAN), has already been contacted to begin legal action on the statement accusing Oshiomhole and the party of responsibility for Enoma's disappearance.