A 21-year-old man, identified as Soliu Olarewaju Mujeeb, has been arrested by the Kwara State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps for allegedly kidnapping and murdering a 60-year-old electrical technician, Mr Olarewaju Olusegun Afolabi, in Ilorin.
The State Commandant of the corps, Abbas Nda Mohammed, disclosed the arrest on Sunday, stating that it followed a thorough investigation into the victim’s disappearance.
According to the NSCDC, Afolabi left his home on June 7 to inspect an electrical installation project but did not return, raising alarm among his family members and associates.
The matter was reported to the command’s Tracking Unit on June 11 after several attempts to contact him proved unsuccessful.
The family later began receiving calls demanding a ransom of N2m from the victim’s phone number.
Investigators said the family was instructed to pay N120,000, which they reportedly complied with, while security operatives commenced an intelligence-driven operation involving digital tracking and the examination of financial transactions linked to the victim.
The investigation eventually led to the arrest of Mujeeb, who allegedly confessed to the crime during interrogation.
The suspect was said to have previously worked with the deceased as an assistant on electrical installation projects.
According to the NSCDC, the suspect admitted luring Afolabi to an uncompleted building in the Kangile area of Kunlende, Ilorin, under the guise of inspecting a new job site.
He allegedly killed the technician and took possession of his mobile phone and SIM card, which were subsequently used to demand ransom from the victim’s family.
The command further revealed that the suspect guided operatives to the location where a shallow grave believed to contain the victim’s remains was discovered.
The victim’s phone and SIM card were also recovered from him.
Mohammed assured residents that investigations were ongoing and urged members of the public to continue supporting security agencies with credible information to aid the fight against crime across the state.