The alleged murder of a man identified as Toheeb in Ikirun, Osun State, has triggered violence in the community, with police arresting 10 suspects in connection with his death and the burning of houses belonging to some of the accused.
Toheeb was reportedly accused of theft before he was allegedly assaulted by some residents. His disappearance later raised concerns among his relatives, who reportedly began searching for him and making enquiries about those last seen with him.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, told PUNCH that Toheeb was initially apprehended and beaten before he fled. However, a local security volunteer identified as Gani allegedly pursued him, caught up with him and killed him.
The source said one of Toheeb’s relatives had witnessed the earlier assault but was unaware that the incident had allegedly resulted in his death.
According to the resident, the deceased’s relatives became suspicious after he failed to return home for several days. Their enquiries reportedly led to the identification of Gani as the person who allegedly pursued Toheeb.
The source further alleged that Toheeb’s body was subsequently dumped in an abandoned well and covered with sand.
News of the alleged killing reportedly angered some residents, who mobilised to the prime suspect’s house and set it ablaze. Other houses belonging to Gani’s relatives were also reportedly burnt, escalating tensions in the community.
Confirming the incident, the Osun State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Ojelabi, said six suspects had been arrested over the alleged murder, while another suspect remained at large.
Ojelabi identified the arrested suspects as Azeez Rasheed, Afolayan Sodiq, Ganiyu Adeoye, Oguntoye Isiak, Kosamotu Asmiu and Kehinde Sunday.
He said Toheeb had been missing for some days before his corpse was discovered in the abandoned well, adding that police operatives and others who assisted them spent more than five hours retrieving the body.
The police spokesman condemned the destruction of property, saying some residents had taken the law into their own hands by attacking and burning houses linked to the suspects.
He disclosed that four additional suspects had been arrested in connection with the arson, bringing the total number of arrests to 10.
“The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for investigation, and the corpse of the deceased has been retrieved,” Ojelabi said.
He added that police operatives had been deployed to the community to restore calm and prevent further breakdown of law and order.
The incident has raised concerns over the dangers of mob justice and retaliatory violence, particularly when allegations of wrongdoing lead to assaults, suspected killings and attacks on property. The police said investigations were ongoing, while efforts continued to apprehend the remaining suspect.