A 38-year-old man, Peter Samuel, admitted to the brutal killing of an Okada rider, Rafiu Akao, in Oke-Oyi town, Ilorin East Local Government Area, Kwara State, during a police parade on Wednesday.
The incident occurred on November 4, 2024, in the Asunlere area of the town.
Speaking to reporters after his arrest, Peter Samuel confessed, saying, “I used cutlass to cut the head of the Okada rider” in an attempt to steal the newly purchased motorcycle of the victim.
He explained that he was enticed into the crime by a person referred to as ‘Oga,’ who assured him the crime would bring them significant financial gain.
Alongside Samuel, four other individuals were arrested and paraded. The suspects included Jeremiah Tiozinda, 26; Sunday Agbenke, 40; Yusuf Abdulkareem, 22; and Jaiyeola Fatai, 40.
The police also recovered key items at the scene, including an Itel Android phone and a motorcycle, believed to belong to the deceased.
Kwara State Police Commissioner, Victor Olaiya, provided details of the investigation, saying, “On November 4, 2024, at approximately 9:09 PM, the Oke-Oyi Police Division received a report from residents of Asunlere community about the discovery of a headless body near a stream.”
The police were immediately alerted by local residents, including Abdulrasheed Ola Sheu and Ismail Muhammed, who arrived at the station to report the chilling find.
Detectives were dispatched to the crime scene and found clear signs of violence around the victim’s neck, indicating decapitation.
The victim’s body was later taken to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital for an autopsy.
At the crime scene, investigators found an Itel Android phone, which was suspected to belong to one of the assailants, and a motorcycle, presumed to be the victim’s.
Further investigation revealed that the deceased’s own phone was found on his body.
The police worked tirelessly to track down the perpetrators. Their efforts paid off in the early hours of November 6, 2024, when two of the suspects were apprehended at separate locations based on reliable intelligence.
The suspects, identified as Peter Samuel, Jeremiah Tiozinda, and Sunday Agbenke, all confessed to their roles in the murder.
It was further revealed during interrogation that the suspects had discarded the victim’s severed head in a nearby river.
Additionally, the Itel phone recovered from the scene was confirmed to belong to Peter Samuel, who had been attempting to flee the state at the time of his capture.
The investigation has since been handed over to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further scrutiny.
“The case is ongoing, and updates will follow as the investigation progresses. The suspects will be arraigned in court,” said Commissioner Olaiya.
