No fewer than four teenagers have been arrested by the Kwara State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for the alleged rape and murder of a Fulani woman, Aisha Sanni in Esie, Irepodun Local Government Area of the State.
The four suspects, who were arrested by the law enforcement agency were identified as, Sodiq Adams, are Rasaq Rasheed, 16; Lukman Quadri, 15; and Billiaminu Qayum, 16.
As gathered, one of the suspects, Adams was reported to be the principal suspects who allegedly raped the victim to death at a farm in Esie axis of the state.
The NSCDC revealed that the suspects allegedly said they caught two Fulani women on a farm in the community stealing cashew nuts, but one of them escaped, while the other was arrested.
The agency added that, upon investigation, the prime suspect directed the other three suspects to chase the other woman, who had already escaped.
It was gathered that the deceased, in an effort to escape the scene and to defend herself from the suspect who was trying to rape her, bitted his arm and inflicted other injuries on him, while her neck beads were scattered at the scene of the crime while struggling.
According to the NSCDC spokesperson, Babawale Afolabi, an officer of the corps, Babatunde Azeez, on April 2, received a complaint from the Secretary, Fulani-Bororo in Esie and Ijan region, Musa Waziri, of a missing woman identified as Aishat Sanni.
The spokesman in a statement disclosed that the corpse of the missing woman was later discovered in the bush and the four suspects were arrested after due security fact-findings, linked them to the murder.
“Having carried out investigations on the above fact findings, the following facts emerged; That the deceased, Aishat Sanni was declared missing on 02/04/2021 by Alhaji Musa Waziri, and a report was made to the office of NSCDC, Esie/Ijan outpost,” Afolabi stated.
“Her body was later discovered on the 03/04/2021 in the bush around 08:30 am half-naked and cuts all over her body. Three out of the suspects namely Rasaq Rasheed, Lukman Quadri, and Biliaminu Qoyum, confirmed in the statements that the prime suspect, Sodiq Adams, arrested a Bororo woman for allegedly stealing cashew nuts but later escaped.
“Our investigation revealed that Sodiq Adam convinced the other three suspects to run after the second Bororo woman who ran away so that he can have canal knowledge of the one arrested. In the process of trying to rape the deceased, he was bitten in the left arm and bruises on his neck inflicted by the late Aishat.”
Afolabi added that when the other victim that escaped was asked about the whereabouts of Aishat, she confirmed that the deceased was captured by the prime suspect, Adams.
“On getting to the scene of the crime with the prime suspect, some facts emerged; “The place where the late Aishat Sanni was killed was in full of her neck beads, and the clothes that Sodiq Adams wore were still with blood,” he added.
The NSCDC spokesperson said that the case had been transferred to the Police, who are in charge of homicide cases, added that the command would carry out the prosecution of the suspects.
