By Nafiu Toyin Abdulqadri.
A gruesome murder occurred on New Year’s Day in Ilorin, leaving a family in shock and grief. AbdulRazaq Ajani, a retired controller of works at the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, was brutally killed by four young men at his residence on Dele Gege Street, off Awolowo Road in the Tanke Area.
According to eyewitnesses, the incident occurred at around 3 p.m. when Ajani returned home with his wife and children from a trip to his hometown, Offa. The assassins, described as four young men between 18 and 22 years old, casually entered the compound and engaged Ajani in a discussion before hacking him to death with small axes.
Family members, who witnessed the horrific incident through CCTV camera recordings, described the scene as “gruesome” and “horrific.” The police have since evacuated the body, but the motive behind the murder remains unclear.
Ajani, a civil engineer, had retired from the Federal Ministry of Works about four years ago but had recently accepted a contract appointment at the ministry. Neighbors and acquaintances described him and his wife, who owns a popular confectionery in Ilorin, as kind and gentle people.
The Kwara State Police Command has yet to release a statement on the incident, but an investigation is expected to be launched soon. The community remains in shock, and the family is left to mourn the loss of a loved one.