Kwara State Police Command has arrested three suspected members of the Eiye Confraternity over the alleged abduction and murder of a 29-year-old student of Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, Sodiq Durodola Olaniyi.
The command said the suspects were arrested after weeks of intelligence-driven investigation by operatives of its Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) into the student’s disappearance.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, disclosed this in a statement made available to Newsmen on Wednesday, saying investigations had uncovered the circumstances surrounding the victim’s disappearance.
She said a thorough investigation by the VCRU led to the arrest of three suspected members of the notorious Eiye Confraternity for their alleged involvement in the abduction and subsequent murder of the victim.
The suspects were identified as 23-year-old Adeoye Babatunde, popularly known as “Solar”; 25-year-old Bernard Kayode, alias “KK”; and 27-year-old Owoyemi Bashiru, alias “GDP”.
According to the police spokesperson, the suspects were arrested on Monday during coordinated tactical operations carried out at identified cult hideouts across Ilorin metropolis.
She said acting on credible intelligence and sustained investigation, VCRU operatives conducted the operations on June 29, 2026, leading to the arrest of the three suspects.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects are members of a violent cult group allegedly responsible for the abduction of Olaniyi, an indigene of Oyo State, who had been missing since June 4, 2026.
Ejire-Adeyemi said the suspects confessed to their individual roles in the crime during interrogation and admitted that the victim was executed after his abduction.
She further disclosed that investigations revealed the criminal gang comprises 12 members, with nine other suspects still at large.
She said tactical operations had been intensified to apprehend the fleeing suspects, dismantle the criminal network and recover the victim’s body.
The police added that the suspects in custody were also assisting investigators with useful information regarding other violent crimes allegedly committed by the group within Ilorin metropolis.
Cults related clashes reportedly on the increase in Kwara state
The spokesperson assured that investigations were ongoing and that all those found culpable would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
The arrests came amid renewed concerns over cult-related violence in Kwara State, particularly in Ilorin, where rival cult groups have been linked to a series of deadly clashes in recent weeks.
On June 15, at least four persons were reportedly killed and two others injured in a suspected cult-related shooting around the Post Office area of Ilorin, prompting heightened security operations by law enforcement agencies.
