The Ogun State Police Command has arrested three members of the same family for the alleged killing of a 38-year-old man, Stanley Okirie, in Akute, Ifo Local Government Area of the state.
The suspects, identified as Jubril Karikari, 12; Salia Karikari, 15; and Maureen Okirie, 35, were apprehended by detectives attached to the Ajuwon Division following a tip-off on Thursday.
A report by THE PUNCH Metro said that the underage suspects, said to be cousins of the deceased, lived in the same household with him and their aunt, Maureen, who is also the deceased’s sibling.
The report quoted sources to have disclosed that the trio allegedly attacked the victim with a wooden pestle during a heated family dispute, inflicting a fatal injury on his head.
Confirming the incident on Friday, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Oluseyi Babaseyi, said operatives acted swiftly on credible intelligence about suspicious movements within the community.
He explained that officers arrived at the scene and caught one of the suspects attempting to dispose of the victim’s body in a shallow grave, in what investigators suspect was a move to cover up the crime.
According to him, preliminary findings revealed that the deceased suffered a severe head injury consistent with the alleged assault.
“The suspects were arrested about 11:15am on April 9, 2026, following an anonymous tip-off. Detectives moved to the location and intercepted one of them attempting to bury a blood-soaked corpse in a shallow grave,” Babaseyi said.
He added that the suspected murder weapon had been recovered, while the remains of the victim had been deposited at the Life Channel Mortuary in Olambe for autopsy.
The police spokesperson noted that the suspects remained in custody and would be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Eleweran, Abeokuta, for further investigation and prosecution.
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Reacting, the Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, condemned the incident, describing it as “cruel, inhumane and deeply disturbing,” particularly because it involved close relatives.
He said that the command would pursue a thorough investigation, stressing that all those found culpable would be made to face the full weight of the law.
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