Police Arrest Six Suspects Over Kidnap, Murder of Kwara Cattle Owner
The Kwara State Police Command has arrested six suspects in connection with the alleged kidnapping and killing of a 29-year-old cattle owner, Sulaiman Rilwan, whose body was recovered from an abandoned well in Offa, Kwara State.
The discovery ended days of uncertainty following the victim’s disappearance after he left his residence in Offa on July 26. His absence was reported to the police two days later, prompting detectives to begin an intelligence-led investigation.
Speaking with journalists in Ilorin on Friday, the Commissioner of Police in Kwara State, Ojo Adekimi, said investigators immediately began tracing the victim’s final movements and gathering information about the circumstances surrounding his disappearance.
According to him, the investigation identified Mohammed Jamiu, who had a business relationship with the deceased involving the management of his cattle, as the last person known to have had contact with Rilwan before he went missing.
Adekimi said the development led to Jamiu’s arrest for questioning, adding that further investigation uncovered a suspected criminal conspiracy involving him and other accomplices.
The police commissioner said Jamiu allegedly confessed to his involvement and later took detectives to an abandoned well in a bush area of Offa, where Rilwan’s body was found.
Following information obtained during the investigation, five other suspects were arrested for their alleged roles in planning and carrying out the crime.
The suspects arrested are Fashola Abdulfatai, 19; Daniel Gideon, 24; Adegoke Oladimeji, 25; Aliyu Yusuf, 26; and Abubakar Ahmed, 55.
The police said the suspects are being investigated for offences including conspiracy to commit kidnapping, aiding and abetting kidnapping, kidnapping, and culpable homicide.
Adekimi disclosed that another suspect linked to the crime is still at large, while efforts are ongoing to arrest him and recover the firearm allegedly used in the operation.
“The confession generated actionable investigative leads, resulting in the arrest of five additional suspects believed to have played various roles in the planning and execution of the crime,” he said.
He urged members of the public to continue providing useful information to security agencies, assuring residents that such reports would be handled with professionalism and confidentiality.
The commissioner reaffirmed the command’s commitment to ensuring that all those involved in the alleged killing are arrested and prosecuted according to the law, adding that operations would continue until the remaining suspects are brought to justice.
