A woman and practitioner of traditional religion has accused her neighbours in Ilorin, Kwara State, of carrying out a targeted arson attack on her home following repeated threats due to her faith.
The allegation was made public in a report accompanied with a video of the burnt property shared on X on Saturday by user Bennylee, known as #itsbennylee, who said the woman had been subjected to sustained hostility since relocating to the predominantly Muslim community.
According to the report, the woman, described as a lawful property owner and an Oníṣẹ̀ṣẹ̀ (traditional religion practitioner), legally built a house in the area, exercising her constitutional right to reside anywhere in Nigeria.
However, shortly after moving in, some residents allegedly expressed opposition to her presence, openly stating that they did not want a traditional religion practitioner living among them.
The report claims the hostility escalated from verbal opposition to intimidation and direct threats, prompting the woman to report the matter to a nearby police station in Ilorin.
Police intervention reportedly led to the summoning and warning of those involved, with officers affirming her legal right to practise her religion and live in the community.
Despite the warning, the threats allegedly continued.
She was reportedly told that her house would be set on fire if she refused to abandon her religious practices.
Initially dismissing the threat as empty, the woman later received a distress call on January 1, 2026, while she was away attending the Osun Festival at another residence.
A neighbour informed her that her Ilorin house was on fire. The property was later confirmed to have been burnt.
The report described the incident as a deliberate act of arson, carried out after explicit religious threats, and not an accident.
The statement read, “This report is made on behalf of a Nigerian woman, a lawful property owner and practitioner of traditional religion (ONÍṢẸ̀ṢẸ).
“She legally built a house in Ilorin, Kwara State, which is her constitutional right as a citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“From the beginning of her presence in this Ilorin Muslim community, some individuals openly stated that they did not want an ONÍṢẸ̀ṢẸ practitioner living among them. She was repeatedly threatened and intimidated solely because of her religious practice.
“Due to these threats, she reported the matter to the nearest police station in Ilorin. The police summoned the individuals involved and warned them that she has a legal right to live and build a house in any community of her choice in Nigeria.
“Despite this police warning, the threats escalated. She was directly told: ‘Since your house is what is keeping you here in our midst, if you refuse to stop your traditional religion practice, get ready to see your house set ablaze.’
“She initially considered this an empty threat. However, on January 1st 2026, while she was away attending the Osun Festival at her other residence, a neighbor urgently called to inform her that her house in Ilorin was on fire.
“The house was later confirmed to have been burnt, validating the earlier threats.This was not an accident.This was arson following explicit religious threats.
“This report is shared:• For public record,• For her safety • For accountability, • To notify authorities, media, and human-rights organizations. Nigeria belongs to all Nigerians. No woman should be threatened, attacked, or displaced because of her religion or belief. Justice will be pursued.”
As of the time of filing this report, the Kwara State Police Command had not issued an official statement on the incident or confirmed whether arrests have been made.
Attempts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, in Kwara State proved abortive, as calls made three times went unanswered. A text message sent to the PRO also had not received a response at the time of reporting.
The prosecution on Wednesday presented five witnesses and video evidence at the trial of content creator Ifeanyi Ogbonna, popularly known as Odogwu Asaba, over alleged rape and manslaughter in connection with the death of 20-year-old Favour Agbro.
The witnesses included Agbro’s twin sister, brother and father, the doctor who conducted the post-mortem examination, and an investigating police officer. The case is being heard by the Delta State High Court in Asaba.
However, the defence counsel requested more time to study the statements of the prosecution witnesses and the additional evidence served on the defence.
Speaking after the proceedings, the prosecution said it was prepared to proceed with the case but acknowledged the need to allow the defence adequate time to examine the materials.
The prosecution team was led by the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary of the Delta State Ministry of Justice, Omamuzo Erebe, SAN, alongside the Director of Public Prosecutions, Tejiri Anuhwin, and other state counsel.
Ogbonna had pleaded not guilty to the charges on October 21, 2026, before Justice Michael Nduka Obi. The allegations relate to Agbro’s death in June 2026.
The court adjourned the case until November 19, 2026, for the continuation of the trial, when the prosecution is expected to proceed with its witnesses and evidence.
Recall that the court had remanded the content creator at the Ogwashi-Uku Maximum Correctional Centre after he was arrested and arraigned following allegations of raping Agbro, who later died after ingesting a toxic substance.
The Ebonyi State Police Command has arrested a man, Ugwumba Enyinnaya, for allegedly impersonating a lawyer and practising for more than 11 years.
The state Police Public Relations Officerzz, SP Joshua Ukandu, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, saying the arrest followed an investigation into a petition alleging obtaining money by false pretence.
According to the police, the suspect allegedly collected ₦650,000 from one Chukwu David in March 2026 to facilitate the processing and approval of a street naming in Ohaozara Local Government Area.
The petitioner alleged that Enyinnaya presented himself as a lawyer with years of legal experience.
The police said investigations following his arrest revealed that he had been parading himself as a legal practitioner despite not being a lawyer.
During interrogation, the suspect admitted that he was not a lawyer, according to the statement.
“A search of his apartment led to the recovery of several exhibits, including a Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) seal; a portrait of the suspect dressed in barrister’s regalia; purported Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) and Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree certificates for the suspect bearing the name of Enugu State University of Science and Technology; a barrister’s robe and wig; judgements allegedly procured from the court and various legal documents allegedly prepared by him, including powers of attorney and deeds of conveyance,” the statement said.
The police said the suspect had been charged to court.
The Commissioner of Police in Ebonyi State, CP Hope Okafor, commended the operatives for uncovering the alleged impersonation and urged members of the public to verify the credentials of people offering legal services.
A yet-to-be-identified motorcycle operator has been killed, and two others injured, after a speeding driver, allegedly fleeing police officers, knocked down three motorcycle riders on Liasu Road in the Idimu area of Lagos State.
The incident occurred on Saturday night during a police chase involving a vehicle suspected to belong to Internet fraudsters.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the driver allegedly lost control of the vehicle while attempting to escape from the pursuing officers and knocked down the three motorcycle riders in the process.
One of the riders was said to have died on the spot, while the two others sustained injuries.
It was gathered that the driver and other occupants of the vehicle abandoned it and fled after realising what had happened.
An eyewitness who gave his name simply as Wahab said the vehicle was being chased from the Ile-Iwe end of the road towards the Council bus stop.
He said, “They were coming from the Ile-Iwe side when police officers in a minibus tried to stop them. It was in the process that they increased their speed and drove recklessly.
“It was when the driver lost control that he ran into the okada riders. The one directly hit died on the spot, and the driver and other male adults in the vehicle ran out of the vehicle and fled.”
The vehicle was subsequently towed to the nearest police station, while the injured victims were taken to a nearby hospital.
The incident, however, sparked a protest by commercial motorcycle riders operating along Powerline and Liasu roads, as they stopped conveying passengers to demand justice for their colleagues.
According to another resident, Titi Jayeoba, the protest left several residents stranded as they struggled to find alternative means of transportation.
“We were stranded on Sunday after the okada riders refused to operate. People who depend on motorcycles to get to church and other places were stranded. The tricycles available could not carry everybody, so many people found it difficult to get to their destinations.
“And some were not even interested in tricycles because they would not take them into their streets,” Jayeoba stated.
It was gathered that normalcy had since returned to the area after the motorcycle operators resumed operations later in the evening.
The deceased victim was also said to have been buried according to Islamic rites.
When contacted on Tuesday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, said she was not aware of the incident. She, however, promised to revert.
