Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has described the reported rape and murder of a 300-level student of the University of Ilorin as “shocking and utterly condemnable.”
Olajide Omowumi Blessing, a student of the Agricultural Science Department from Oke-Opin community in the Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, was allegedly raped and murdered by some yet-to-be-identified persons at her sister’s house on Tuesday, June 1, in Ilorin, the state capital.
Spokesperson of the State Police Command, Okasanmi Ajayi, who confirmed the incident on Thursday, said Omowumi was found naked with her two hands tied to the back and mouth gagged on Tuesday, June 1.
In a statement issued on Friday, June 4, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Rafiu Ajakaye assured that security agencies will fish out suspected killers of the student.
“The development is heart-wrenching and absolutely unacceptable. Such antisocial and despicable behaviour will never be acceptable to all people of good conscience, and all of us will unite to fight this to a logical conclusion,” the statement reads.
“I call on the security agencies to get to the root of this dastardly act with a view to bringing the mindless perpetrators to book. I similarly call on anyone with valuable information to volunteer same to the security agencies,” the Governor said in a personal statement mourning the late Blessing.
“I sincerely commiserate with the parents of the deceased, her course/ housemates, and the university community on this sad incident, while praying the Almighty God to repose her soul. I join every person of good conscience to seek justice for Blessing so that such callous action and its perpetrators will never find a foothold in our society.
“I hereby send strong warnings that we will not tolerate indiscriminate violence against any person, much less the girl child. Enough is enough! The security agencies will get the perpetrators to pay heavily for this crime,” the statement added.
According to the police, “The deceased stayed with her elder sister. The elder sister came back from work at about 6:00 pm on Tuesday June 1, saying that she had tried severally to reach her on phone but couldn’t as the phone kept ringing. She came back from work to meet the door of her apartment locked and couldn’t gain entry despite repeated knocks on the door. She then called some neighbours who helped to break open the door,” he stated.
“They all met the deceased lying dead on the floor when they entered with her two hands tied to the back, and her mouth gagged. She was met naked, bruises were noticed on her private part, her mouth was covered among others
“Also, a note said to have been written on a piece of paper was placed on her chest containing a message, “Unilorin doesn’t forgive.”
The people later informed the police at F’ Division Police Station, who discovered the dead body, snapped the picture, and took the corpse to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) for autopsy,” he added.
The PPRO said the state Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Bagega, has directed immediate investigation and arrest of the attackers.
