Tragedy struck in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, on Thursday as a 39-year-old pregnant woman, Mrs. Esther Enemo, was gruesomely murdered in what police suspect to be a ritual killing allegedly carried out by her brother-in-law.
The incident occurred at Temidire Zone 4, Egbejila community, where the victim lived with her family.
According to neighbours, Esther was alone at home on Wednesday night before she was discovered dead the following morning. A resident who spoke on condition of anonymity recounted how her husband encountered a masked man leaving the compound on the night of the killing.
“When my husband challenged him, the man removed his mask and identified himself as Esther’s husband’s younger brother. He locked the door from outside and left. Moments later, we noticed bloodstains in the compound and raised an alarm,” the source said.
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The victim’s husband, Mr. Ekene Enemo, a trader in agricultural chemicals and equipment based in a border town in Kwara North, was away when the incident occurred.
Confirming the development, the spokesperson of the Kwara State Police Command, Toun Ejire-Adeyemi, said detectives recovered Esther’s dismembered body in the bush behind her residence, while other parts were found in a sack dumped beneath a nearby community bridge.
She disclosed that the prime suspect, Mr. Sylvester Enemo, aged 29, the younger brother of the victim’s husband, has been arrested after he was allegedly sighted leaving the house shortly before the crime was uncovered.
Ejire-Adeyemi added that the remains of the deceased have been deposited at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) morgue for autopsy, while investigations continue.
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In a statement, the Commissioner of Police, CP Ojo Adekimi, condemned the incident and assured the public that the Command would ensure justice is served.
“The Kwara State Police Command will leave no stone unturned in unravelling the circumstances surrounding this heinous crime. We urge residents to remain calm and avoid speculations capable of inciting fear or tension,” the statement read.
He further assured that security has been reinforced across the state, calling on residents to provide useful information that could aid the investigation.