Kwara Police Parade Suspected Cult Member for Alleged Murder of Hotelier in Ilorin
By Omowumi Omotosho
The Kwara State Police Command has paraded a 37-year-old alleged member of the Eiye Confraternity, accused of the brutal murder of a 43-year-old hotelier, Anthony Kayode Balogun, in Ilorin.
Balogun was reportedly shot dead by gunmen, believed to be cultists, on August 8, 2024, outside his hotel located in the Olunlade area of Ilorin.
The suspect, identified as Abolarin Samuel Idowu, who also goes by the name Sam Caro, has been apprehended and is currently in police custody, while two of his alleged accomplices remain on the run.
During the parade of the suspect, the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Victor Olaiya, provided detailed insights into the arrest and investigation. He stated, “Abolarin Samuel Idowu was apprehended at his hideout near Conoil Filling Station in the Italamu area of Ilorin. A thorough search conducted at the time of his arrest resulted in the recovery of a locally fabricated gun and three live cartridges.”
Olaiya continued, “The suspect confessed to being a member of the notorious Eiye secret cult. Our investigation further uncovered that Abolarin Samuel Idowu, along with his accomplices—known as Alowonle, alias Aloo, and Samuel, alias Sam Febee-Kay—was directly involved in the killing of Anthony Kayode Balogun. The killing was reportedly an act of revenge linked to a 2022 cult anniversary, during which the deceased allegedly ordered the killing of an Eiye Confraternity member named Abbay.”
The Commissioner also revealed that “Additional searches at various criminal hideouts led to the seizure of several other items, including two locally made shotguns, one cut-to-size locally made gun, a multipurpose battle axe, eight live cartridges, a locally made sword, a cutlass, a pair of pliers, and two bottles containing an unknown liquid, suspected to be a hard drug.”
Olaiya pointed out the difficulties faced during the operation, stating, “On August 18 and 19, 2024, our tactical teams encountered significant resistance from other cult members while attempting to apprehend additional suspects and recover further evidence.”
