Farm labourers conspire, kill farm owner in Kwara

Lanourers hired to work in a farmland are facing prosecution for conspiring and killing the farm owner who hired them in Idofin Odo-Ashe, Oke-Ero Local Government Area, Kwara State. The Magistrate Court in Ilorin, accordingly, remanded three farm workers in prison custody being prosecuted for killing their employer, Jamiu Ibrahim, in an armed robbery operation.

The farm workers identified as Isiaka Sabi, Hassan Bature and Ardo Umaru were accused of conspiring and killing the farm owner on June 29.

First Information Report (FIR) of the State Police Command disclosed that the “case was transferred from Oke Ero Divisional Police Headquarters, Ilofa Kwara State, to the Criminal Investigation Department, Ilorin, for discreet investigation on July 7, 2022.”

The FIR further disclosed that the case was reported at the Oke-Ero police station by Jamiu Abdulrauf of Ita Asalapa Isale Banni Aloore, Ilorin.

The FIR report also revealed that the farm workers killed Ibrahim Jamiu because he refused to give them money.

According to the report: “That on the same date at about 0000hours, five unknown gunmen invaded into Asalapa farm settlement via Idofin Odo-Ashe and took his brother one Jamiu Ibrahim ‘male’ aged 45 years out of his room into a guinea corn farm behind his house where he was fired with a gun and abandoned to die in the pool of his blood.

 “Concerted effort of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) Oke-Ero led to the arrest of one Isiaka Sabi, Bature Hassan and Umaru Ardo of different farm settlements in Idofin Odo Ashe, who were fingered in the killing of Jamiu Ibrahim.

“During discreet investigation conducted at SCID Ilorin, it was revealed that Sabi Isiaka, who was a labourer working for the deceased, invited one Hassan Bature and Umaru Ardo of different farm settlements and planned to rob Ibrahim Jamiu on July 26 but executed the plan of attacking Ibrahim Jamiu on 29/6/2022.

“During the discreet investigation, Sabi Isiaka confessed to having conspired with one Bature Hassan, Umaru Ardo, Janyo Dogo and Ahiyah (at large) to rob the deceased.”

The police said the arrested farm workers, including two others at large, attacked the farm owner with guns and cutlasses.

The Police Prosecutor, Thomas Adebayo, at the hearing of the case on Thursday, told the court to remand the workers in prison for 21 days till investigation    is concluded.

Prosecutor Thomas Adebayo had stated: “We are still investigating the case. “Efforts are still on towards arresting the remaining suspects at large by the police authorities. However, we pray the court to remand the defendants in Oke-Kura Correctional Facility, Ilorin.

“Our prayers are in line with Section 299 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Kwara state 2018. We have nine grounds to support our application, supported also by nine paragraphs affidavit dated July 22, 2022, and deposed to by Inspector Mohammed Kamaldeen of the state CID, Ilorin, Kwara State.

“The state Attorney General is fully aware of the case because the duplicate of the case file had been forwarded to the justice ministry via a letter dated July 22nd, 2022.

“The receipt copy from the letter is evident having formed part of the evidence in this case. We have not in any way infringed on the fundamental human rights of the defendants.”

Magistrate A Mogaji, in her judgement, before adjourning the case to September 1, stated: in line with “the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of the state, I hereby order that the suspect be remanded in Oke-Kura Correctional facility.”