The Kwara State Police Command has commenced a full-scale manhunt for individuals involved in a deadly reprisal attack that left multiple casualties and led to the destruction of properties in Ilesha Baruba, Baruten Local Government Area of the state.
The violence, which erupted on Friday, followed a fatal confrontation between an Islamic scholar, Alhaji Mohammed Ilyasu, and an unidentified Fulani man.
According to the police, both men sustained severe machete wounds during the clash and were rushed to the hospital for treatment.
Confirming the incident in a statement issued in Ilorin by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, investigations revealed that Mohammed Ilyasu was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital, while the other man later died while receiving treatment.
The command, however, expressed concern that some youths allegedly took the law into their own hands after learning of the deaths.
According to the statement, “Rather than allowing the law to take its course, some irate youths reportedly stormed the hospital, seized the corpse of the deceased assailant, and set it ablaze.”
The police further disclosed that the mob allegedly attacked another man passing through the area and burnt him to death, while about ten houses belonging to members of the Fulani community, including the residence of the Ardo Fulani, Alhaji Hassan, were set ablaze.
The development triggered security concerns in the area, prompting the immediate deployment of a combined team of police officers and military personnel to prevent further violence.
“Upon receipt of the report, a combined team of Police personnel and military operatives was swiftly deployed to the affected area, successfully restoring normalcy and preventing further escalation of violence,” the statement added.
Condemning the attacks, the Commissioner of Police, Ojo Adekimi, described the acts as criminal, barbaric and a serious violation of the rule of law.
He stressed that no individual or group has the right to engage in extra-judicial actions regardless of the circumstances surrounding any dispute.
“The perpetrators will be identified, apprehended, and made to face the full weight of the law,” the commissioner vowed.
He assured residents that security has been strengthened across the affected community and that the situation remains under close surveillance.
Adekimi also appealed to residents to remain peaceful and avoid actions capable of triggering further unrest or ethnic tensions, assuring all communities of the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property without discrimination.
The police said investigations are ongoing to ensure that all those connected to the killings, arson and other acts of violence are brought to justice.
