On Wednesday, 38-year-old Peter Samuel confessed to the murder of a motorcyclist, Rafiu Akao, in Oke-Oyi, Ilorin East Local Government Area, Kwara State.
The incident took place on November 4, 2024, in the Asunlere area of the town.
Speaking to journalists after being paraded along with four others by Kwara State Police Commissioner Victor Olaiya, Samuel admitted, “I used a cutlass to cut the head of the Okada rider” to steal his newly acquired motorcycle.
Samuel claimed he was persuaded by an accomplice known as “Oga,” who promised that the act would bring significant financial gain.
The other suspects included 26-year-old Jeremiah Tiozinda, 40-year-old Sunday Agbenke, 22-year-old Yusuf Abdulkareem, and 40-year-old Jaiyeola Fatai. Police recovered an Itel Android phone and a motorcycle as evidence.
According to Commissioner Olaiya, residents had reported finding a headless body near a stream in the Asunlere community on the evening of November 4.
Officers were immediately dispatched to the scene, where they found evidence of violent trauma around the victim’s neck. The body was taken to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital for autopsy.
At the scene, detectives retrieved an Itel Android phone suspected to belong to one of the attackers, as well as the victim’s motorcycle.
After an intense investigation, officers tracked down suspects Samuel, Tiozinda, and Agbenke on November 6. Both Samuel and his accomplices confessed to the crime, revealing that they had disposed of the victim’s head in a nearby river.
The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for a more detailed investigation. Authorities plan to arraign the suspects in court as the investigation continues.
