Edo Billionaire, Captain Hosa Died After Failed Battle With Obaseki

Popular Benin-born billionaire businessman Captain Hosa Wells Okunbo who vowed to stop Governor Godwin Obaseki from a second term has died at 63.

Okunbo according to sources died from complications of cancer in a London hospital.

Captain Hosa as he was popularly known was also the father-in-law of the incoming Olu of Warri, Tsola Emiko who is married to his daughter, Ivie.

While his battle with cancer was kept from the public space, Captain Hosa in his latter years, however, did not shy away from denying his opposition to a second term for Governor Obaseki.

Captain Hosa had operated in the main at the background in the political waters in the country as several politicians in his native Edo State openly cavorted his support.

He had built up immense political capital through his empowerment of Edo businessmen and politicians who in turn were always willing to kowtow to his desires.

He was one of a few individuals that governors of Edo State dreaded  and feared to offend. That was until Governor Obaseki who openly took him on after Captain Hosa appeared to side with Comrade Adams Oshiomhole in opposing a second term for Obaseki.

A few weeks to the last governorship election in Edo State, Capt. Hosa who rarely granted interviews but always spoke through his surrogates openly granted an interview that was published across the major national newspapers.

In the interview he rationalized his problems with Obaseki saying that the governor thought he was going to contest the Edo State governorship election and set up a war room to fight him.

“What I believe is that my brother, Godwin, actually thought I was going to run against him so he set up a war room against Captain Hosa and when he knew I wasn’t running, he still needed to deploy it,” Captain Hosa said in that interview.

Besides Obaseki, Captain Hosa was also engaged in a fight with the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA especially under the former Hadiza Bala Usman management over the security contract for incoming vessels awarded his company by a previous government.

Captain Hosa alleged that Obaseki was the one who instigated the NPA to fight him as a way of reducing his political relevance in Edo State.

He, however, took ill not long after the Edo governorship election and had been in Europe since then.

One source said that his health had improved tremendously and was planning a return to the country ahead of the coronation of his son-in-law as the new Olu of Warri.

One source said that as part of the return plans that he had purchased a Rolls Royce for the new Olu.

Captain Hosa was a pilot who left paid employment in his twenties to launch into the private sector. His business interests included shipping, hospitality, agriculture, oil and gas among others.

Send Us A Press Statement Advertise With Us Contact Us

 And For More Nigerian News Visit GWG.NG