Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Victor Olaiya, stated that all three suspects would face legal action after the completion of investigations.
Ilorin, Nigeria – The Kwara State Police Command has announced the arrest of three suspects in connection with the gruesome murder of a commercial motorcyclist, Rafiu Akano, whose severed head was recovered by police detectives in Asunlere village, Oke-Oyi, Ilorin East Local Government Area.
According to a statement released by the Police Public Relations Officer, Ejire-Adeyemi Toun, on Saturday, the victim, 34-year-old Rafiu Akano, was killed on Sunday, November 4, 2024, by Peter Samuel, Jeremiah Tiozinda, and Sunday Agbenke. The motive behind the murder was to dispossess the victim of his newly purchased motorcycle for financial gain.
The police detailed that Akano’s headless body was discovered on Monday, November 5, at the crime scene. During investigations, the suspects admitted to the crime, revealing that the severed head had been thrown into a nearby river.
In their confession, the suspects described how they planned and executed the crime. Sunday Agbenke, who allegedly knew the victim, provided his phone contact to Peter Samuel. The suspects then lured Akano under the pretense of needing a ride to an unspecified location. As they traveled, Peter Samuel feigned needing a bathroom break. At that point, Jeremiah Tiozinda struck the unsuspecting rider on the head with a stick, causing him to fall from his motorcycle. Despite his efforts to escape, Akano was overpowered and ultimately decapitated by Samuel using a cutlass. The dismembered head and weapon were later disposed of in a stream.
The attack, however, did not go unnoticed. A nearby Vigilante patrol team heard the commotion and chased the suspects. The culprits abandoned the stolen motorcycle and fled into the bush but left behind a crucial piece of evidence—Peter Samuel’s mobile phone. This led to the suspects’ identification and subsequent arrest by police detectives.
Peter Samuel, one of the primary suspects, told police that financial desperation drove them to commit the crime. He explained that he needed funds to transport his late wife’s body, which was still in a hospital morgue, for burial. “I’m from Benue State. Sunday Agbenke gave us the phone number of the Okada rider, who he said had recently bought a new motorcycle. We hired the Okada rider to take us to Oloru, in the Moro Local Government Area. We killed him to take possession of his motorcycle because we needed money to transport my wife’s body home for burial,” Samuel confessed.
Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Victor Olaiya, stated that all three suspects would face legal action after the completion of investigations. He reaffirmed the police’s commitment to ensuring the safety and security of residents, emphasizing strict enforcement of the existing nighttime restriction on motorcycle and tricycle movement from 9 pm to 6 am. Olaiya warned that violators of the curfew would be prosecuted.
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