The Kwara State Police Command has apprehended a 37-year-old alleged cultist, Abolarin Samuel Idowu, for the murder of 43-year-old hotelier Anthony Kayode Balogun in Ilorin. According to a report by The Nation, Balogun was shot and killed by gunmen, suspected to be cult members, on August 8, 2024, outside his hotel in the Olunlade area of Ilorin.
Idowu, also known as Sam Caro, was arrested at his hideout near Conoil Filling Station in the Italamu area. During his arrest, police recovered a locally made gun and three live cartridges.
Kwara State Commissioner of Police Victor Olaiya revealed that Idowu admitted to being part of the Eiye Confraternity. Further investigation uncovered that Idowu, along with his accomplices Alowonle (also known as Aloo) and Samuel (also known as Sam Febee-Kay), was involved in Balogun’s murder. The crime was reportedly an act of revenge linked to a 2022 cult anniversary celebration where Balogun allegedly ordered the killing of an Eiye member named Abbay.
Additional searches at criminal hideouts led to the seizure of several items, including two locally made shotguns, one cut-to-size locally made gun, a multipurpose battle axe, eight live cartridges, a locally made sword, a cutlass, a pair of pliers, and two bottles of an unknown liquid suspected to be a hard drug.
Despite these successes, the police faced challenges during subsequent operations. On August 18 and 19, 2024, tactical teams encountered significant resistance from other cult members while attempting to arrest additional suspects and gather more evidence.
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