The killers who brutally murdered the Olukoro of Koro in Kwara State, Oba Olusegun Aremu-Cole, reportedly planned the crime in a local pub.
Fresh details reveal that the killers spent hours at the beer parlour before luring a salesgirl to lead them to the monarch’s palace.
The retired senior military officer, crowned in 2017, was shot dead on Thursday night, while his wife and two others were abducted. The assailants, who had settled in the pub, convinced the unwitting salesgirl to guide them to the palace, claiming they wanted to pay respects to the monarch and discuss town progress.
According to sources, upon reaching the palace, the gunmen demanded the monarch’s compliance, but he defiantly refused. The monarch’s immediate brother, Adelaja Aremu, recounted that the assailants shot the Oba for refusing to follow their orders.
The family is now grappling with the abduction of the monarch’s wife and two others, as the kidnappers demand a hefty N100 million ransom within 48 hours. Koro, sharing borders with Kogi and Ekiti states, has witnessed increased bandit attacks, prompting a deployment of soldiers to comb nearby forests.
Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, condemned the killing and abduction, instructing security agencies to spare no effort in bringing the perpetrators to justice. The incident has sparked widespread condemnation, with former Senate President Bukola Saraki expressing shock and urging intensified security measures in Kwara State.