The Kwara State Police Command has launched a full-scale manhunt for individuals allegedly involved in the killing of two persons and widespread destruction of property following a violent mob attack in Ilesha Baruba, Baruten Local Government Area of the state.
The Command strongly condemned the retaliatory violence, acts of arson and extra-judicial killings recorded during the unrest, describing them as grave criminal offences and a direct challenge to the nation’s justice system and the rule of law.
According to a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, the tragic incident stemmed from a violent confrontation between an unidentified Fulani man and a respected Islamic scholar, Mohammed Ilyasu, on Saturday.
The police explained that the altercation reportedly escalated into a deadly machete attack during which both men sustained severe injuries. The victims were subsequently rushed to a medical facility for emergency treatment. However, Mohammed Ilyasu was declared dead on arrival, while the suspected assailant reportedly died later while receiving medical care.
The development allegedly triggered outrage among some youths within the community, resulting in a violent chain of retaliatory actions. Security authorities disclosed that an angry mob stormed the hospital premises, forcefully seized the corpse of the deceased Fulani man and allegedly set it ablaze.
In what the police described as a disturbing escalation of lawlessness, the mob was further accused of attacking another individual identified as a passerby and burning him to death during the unrest.
The violence also extended to property destruction, with about ten buildings reportedly belonging to members of the Fulani community razed or vandalised. Among the affected properties was said to be the residence of the Ardo Fulani, Alhaji Hassan, underscoring the scale of the communal tension and destruction that followed the incident.
Following distress reports from the community, the police said a combined security operation involving officers of the Nigeria Police Force and military personnel was swiftly mobilised to the troubled area to restore calm, prevent reprisal attacks and reinforce public safety.
The Command noted that normalcy has since been restored in Ilesha Baruba, while security surveillance and operational presence have been significantly strengthened to forestall any further breakdown of law and order.
Reacting to the incident, the Commissioner of Police in Kwara State, Mr. Ojo Adekimi, condemned the mob actions in strong terms, describing the killings and destruction as barbaric, unlawful and unacceptable in a civil society.
The police chief stressed that no citizen, group or community possesses the legal authority to administer jungle justice or resort to violence irrespective of the circumstances surrounding any dispute or criminal allegation.
He reiterated the Command’s commitment to conducting a thorough investigation into the incident and ensuring that all individuals found culpable are identified, apprehended and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
The Kwara State Police Command also appealed to residents of the affected community and the general public to remain calm, cooperate with security agencies and avoid actions capable of inflaming tensions, while assuring that justice would be pursued through lawful and constitutional means.
The incident has once again raised concerns over mob justice, communal tensions and extra-judicial reprisals in parts of the country, with stakeholders calling for strengthened conflict resolution mechanisms, improved community policing and increased public sensitisation on the dangers of taking the law into private hands.
