Commissioner of Police orders homicide detectives to investigate the fatal attack on Azeez Garba as family demands justice

The Kwara State Police Command has launched a full-scale homicide investigation into the killing of Azeez Garba, a farmer whose body was discovered on his farmland in Isin Local Government Area, with Commissioner of Police Ojo Adekimi directing detectives to deploy all available intelligence and investigative resources to identify and arrest those responsible.

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The directive, announced on Tuesday in a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, marks the latest effort by security authorities to unravel the circumstances surrounding a killing that has unsettled residents of the agrarian community.

The Kwara Police murder probe follows the discovery of Garba’s lifeless body along the Owa-Onire axis, the boundary between Isanlu-Isin and Owu-Isin, after he failed to return home from his cocoa farm.

Describing the incident as “cruel, senseless and unacceptable”, Adekimi assured residents that the command would pursue the investigation with urgency and professionalism.

“The Commissioner of Police has ordered a comprehensive and discreet investigation into the gruesome murder of a farmer, Mr Azeez Garba, whose lifeless body was discovered on his farmland along the Owa-Onire axis, the boundary between Isanlu-Isin and Owu-Isin in the Isin Local Government Area of Kwara State,” the statement said.

According to preliminary police findings, Garba left home for his farm but did not return, prompting family members and local vigilantes to organise a search.

Investigators said the victim’s motorcycle was later found parked on the farm, while his body was discovered a short distance away bearing deep machete wounds.

Although no arrests have been made, the police said detectives are following every credible lead to establish the motive for the attack and identify those involved.

“Investigators are working assiduously to unravel the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident and ensure that all those connected with this heinous crime are identified and brought to justice,” the command added.

The investigation comes days after Garba’s family publicly appealed to security agencies to intensify efforts to solve the case.

Speaking on behalf of the family, the deceased’s second daughter, Abdulazeez Rofiat, recalled that her father left home for his cocoa farm but never returned. She said local hunters eventually located his body in a nearby bush after discovering his motorcycle at the farm.

“We want those responsible for this terrible crime to be identified, arrested and prosecuted according to the law. My father deserves justice, and our family deserves answers. We will continue to seek justice until those responsible are held accountable,” she said.

The killing has renewed concerns over the safety of farmers working in remote communities, particularly as attacks on agricultural workers continue to affect food production and rural livelihoods in parts of the country.

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While the police have urged members of the public to remain calm and cooperate with investigators, residents are hoping the Kwara Police murder probe will deliver answers and ensure those responsible are brought before the courts.