Retired Federal Works Controller Assassinated in Ilorin on New Year’s Day, Police Says Investigation ongoing

A retired controller of works with the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, AbdulRazaq Ajani, was murdered on New Year’s Day in Ilorin, shortly after returning home from a trip to his hometown, Offa, alongside his wife and children.

The incident occurred around 3 p.m. at Dele Gege Street, located off Awolowo Road in the Tanke area of Ilorin, Kwara State.

The deceased family accounts revealed that the assailants entered the compound moments after Ajani arrived with his family. Described as a group of four young men, all appearing to be between the ages of 18 and 22, their arrival initially went unnoticed by the household.

CCTV footage captured prior to the incident reportedly showed two of the suspects loitering near the compound’s gate, with one of them casually sipping from a plastic water bottle, while the other two entered the premises.

Upon observing the intruders from one of the sitting rooms on the ground floor of the family’s one-storey residence, Ajani is said to have risen to confront them at the main entrance.

The horrifying scene unfolded as Mr. Ajani’s immediate family watched helplessly while the attackers used what appeared to be small axes to carry out their gruesome act.

“They appeared to be engaging him in a discussion until he was suddenly lying face down on the ground,” said one of the family members describing what he saw on the CCTV.

Having completed their chilling mission, the assailants fled the compound before the distressed cries of the family alerted neighbors to the tragedy.

According to Premium Times, by the time the scene was visited around 5 p.m. on Wednesday, the police had already taken the victim’s body.

Inside the home, mourners and relatives sat in the main living room, just a few steps away from the bloodstained corridor where the retired official was brutally murdered.

Mr. Ajani, a seasoned civil engineer, retired from the Federal Ministry of Works four years ago. However, he had recently returned to the ministry on a contract appointment.

Residents of the serene street described the late Ajani as a kind and respectable figure. His wife, known for running Reo Cakes, a popular confectionery business in Ilorin, also received praise for her warmth and generosity.

When National Pilot contacted the spokesperson for Kwara state police command, Toun Ejire-Adeyemi, on Thursday morning, she revealed that “investigation is ongoing to arrest the perpetrators”.