Six arrested for abduction, murder of cattle owner in Kwara
The Kwara State Police Command has arrested six suspects over the alleged kidnap and killing of a 29-year-old cattle owner, with another suspect still at large.
The Kwara State Police Command has arrested six suspects over the alleged kidnap and killing of a 29-year-old cattle owner. This was after detectives recovered his body from an abandoned well in Offa, Kwara State. The development brought to a tragic end days of uncertainty over his disappearance. Police said another suspect linked to the crime is still at large, while efforts have been intensified to apprehend him and recover the firearm allegedly used in carrying out the offence.
The victim, identified as Sulaiman Rilwan, was reported missing after he left his residence in Offa on July 26. His disappearance was reported to the police two days later, prompting detectives to launch what the Command described as a comprehensive intelligence-led investigation. Briefing journalists in Ilorin on Friday, the Commissioner of Police, Ojo Adekimi, said investigators immediately commenced efforts to reconstruct the victim’s last known movements.
According to him, preliminary findings identified Mohammed Jamiu, who reportedly had a business relationship with the deceased involving the care of his cattle, as the last known person to have had contact with the victim before he went missing. The Commissioner said the development prompted detectives to arrest the suspect for further investigation. During interrogation, Jamiu allegedly confessed to his involvement in the crime and subsequently led investigators to an abandoned well in a bush in Offa where the victim’s body was recovered.
The case highlights the ongoing security challenges in Kwara State. While the state has not experienced the level of violence seen in other parts of the country, the abduction and killing of a cattle owner is a reminder that no region is immune to insecurity. The police’s swift action in arresting the suspects is commendable.
This echoes the 2021 kidnapping of cattle owners in Kwara, which also highlighted the vulnerability of herders to violence. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a reminder that insecurity affects all regions.
The winners: the police, who have made arrests; and the justice system, which will prosecute the suspects. The losers: the family of the victim; and the Nigerian public, who must contend with the reality of kidnapping and violence.
Bottom Line: Six suspects have been arrested for the abduction and murder of a cattle owner in Kwara. The police acted swiftly. The question is whether the suspects will be brought to justice or the case will join the long list of unresolved crimes.