Residents of the Owatowose area in Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State have been thrown into grief following the alleged killing of an 18-year-old boy, Amos Timilehin Ariyo, who was reportedly stabbed to death by his friend.
The tragic incident reportedly occurred around 4 p.m. along a roadside within the community, leaving residents shocked.
Eyewitnesses said the teenager was allegedly attacked by a friend who stabbed him in the chest without any known provocation before fleeing the scene.
Sources within the victim’s family disclosed that Amos had only recently recovered from an illness and was on his way from his mother’s house to her nearby shop when he encountered the suspect.
Residents noted that the two teenagers were known to be close friends and were often seen together in the neighbourhood.
According to them, nothing unusual was noticed as they walked together shortly before the incident.
However, the calm atmosphere reportedly turned tragic moments later when the victim suddenly cried out in pain and collapsed after the alleged stabbing, while the suspect fled immediately.
Confirming the development, the spokesperson for the Ondo State Police Command, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, said a suspect had been arrested in connection with the incident.
He said the command apprehended a suspect following the alleged murder of Ariyo in Owo on March 6, 2026.
According to him, preliminary investigations revealed that the victim was stabbed during an argument by a suspect identified as Johnson Daniel.
Jimoh added that the victim was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, where a medical doctor confirmed him dead on arrival.
He noted that detectives visited the scene and recovered the knife suspected to have been used in the attack, while the suspect had been taken into custody.
The police spokesman further disclosed that the case had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.
He added that the command sympathised with the family of the deceased and urged members of the public to shun violence while resolving disputes, assuring that further updates would be provided as the investigation progresses.
