The Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has described the m8rder of a 14-year-old girl, Faith Moses, in Emure Ekiti town, as painful and devastating to him.
The victim was slaughtered by suspected gunmen identified as Bashir Alaba, 31, and Mohammad Jamiu, 36, for resisting r3pe.
Oyebanji spoke during a sympathy visit to the family of the deceased on Wednesday.
Addressing the town on the raging insecurity in the border community, Oyebanji, represented by the Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, those perpetrating the murderous act must be savouring internal collusion with the locals, which he said must be curbed.
Describing the spiralling cases of k!lling as frightening, Oyebanji urged the citizens to be vigilant, adding that the military post created along Emure-Eporo-Emure Ile was enough to checkmate the kidnappers along that border post with Ondo State, but regretted that this was being thwarted by internal collusion.
“Let me sympathise with you on the death of one of your citizens killed just of recent. I was saddened by the report of this k!lling. But I want you to be vigilant. There is no way some people can enter your town and start kidnapping and k!llings without some people feeding them with information,” he stated.
“This government is empowering all the security agencies and the local hunters to make Ekiti safe. We are also working with other neighbouring states like Kwara, Ondo, Kogi and Osun States. The forest combing should be sustained and this should be done with the security agencies.
“But, warn your youth who are in the habit of colluding with external bodies to create an atmosphere of insecurity. In fact, in most cases they are the one supplying information to these kidnappers. All these must stop. We will work hard to make you secure and you shouldn’t do anything that will frustrate our efforts”.
Also speaking, the Commissioner of Police, Ekiti Command, Mr Joseph Eribo, said that community policing has become the most acceptable and conventional policing system globally, adding that his men will continue to partner with all stakeholders in ensuring that those perpetrating evils in Ekiti are arrested and punished accordingly.
Narrating how the incident happened, the spokesperson of the State Police Command, Sunday Abutu, said that the suspects, who had initially wanted to r@pe the girl, slit her throat on a farm following her struggle with them.
“The two suspects, one Bashir Alaba, 31 years, and Mohammad Jamiu, 36 years, were arrested very close to the scene of the crime with two cutlasses suspected to have been used for the heinous act. Investigation in progress”. Abutu said.
“On February 9, 2025, at about 19:10 hours, one Toyin Moses of Odo-Emure Street, Emure-Ekiti, came in distress to Emure Divisional Police Headquarters and reported that her husband, one Joshua Moses, before embarking on a journey to Oka Akoko in Ondo State, instructed their daughter, Faith Moses, to go check his trap in his farm along Okeseri Road, Emure-Ekiti.
“According to her, while the girl went to the farm to check the trap, she went with her younger brother, a five-year-old Testimony Moses.
“On getting to the farm, information from the younger brother who escaped from the scene has it that two men accosted them and threatened to either have carnal knowledge of Faith Moses or k!ll her.
“She refused and struggled with them and in the process, they brought out two cutlasses, slit her throat, and cut off her right hand.
”Upon receiving the information, police operatives swung into action and cordoned off the farm and arrested the two suspects in the process.”
FOLLOW US ON:
ADVERTISE WITH US:
