60-Year-Old Kwara technician found dead over ransom

A routine work call ended in tragedy as a 60-year-old Kwara technician was allegedly lured to a fake job site, killed, and buried in a shallow grave. Authorities say the suspect later used the victim's phone to demand ransom from his family, turning their desperate search into a heartbreaking ordeal.

Four Days of Hope and Uncertainty

For four agonising days, the family of 60-year-old electrical technician, Mr. Olarewaju Olusegun Afolabi, lived between hope and despair. Each ringing phone stirred expectations that he would return home safely. Each passing hour deepened fears that something had gone terribly wrong. The respected technician had left home on June 7, 2026, for what appeared to be a routine assignment, an inspection of an electrical wiring project in the Kangile area of Kulende, Ilorin. It was the kind of job he had undertaken countless times throughout his career.

But this time, he never returned. What initially appeared to be a missing person's case has now unfolded into a chilling tale of alleged betrayal, greed and murder, with authorities accusing a 21-year-old man, identified as Soliu Olarewaju Mujeeb, of luring the technician to his death before allegedly using the victim's phone to demand ransom from his unsuspecting family.

The Kwara State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, announced the arrest of the suspect on Sunday following investigations into the disappearance of the technician. Briefing journalists at the Command Headquarters in Ilorin, the State Commandant, Abbas Nda Mohammed, described how the victim's family raised alarm after he failed to return home.

Phone Tracking Breaks the Case

According to the Commandant, the matter was reported to the NSCDC Tracking Unit on June 11, prompting an intensive investigation. What made the tragedy even more disturbing was the discovery that the victim allegedly knew his attacker. Investigators revealed that the suspect reportedly worked alongside the deceased and allegedly exploited that familiarity to lure him to what turned out to be a fictitious wiring project at an uncompleted building.

The victim was lured to inspect a fake wiring site at Kangile, Kulende area of Ilorin by the suspect who happens to be one of his fellow workers

— Mohammed said.

According to preliminary findings, the technician arrived at the location believing he was responding to a legitimate work assignment. Instead, investigators alleged that he was attacked from behind.

On arriving the fake site, the suspect reportedly killed the victim when he violently hit him from the back with a sharp object inside the uncompleted building

— the Commandant disclosed.

Ransom Requests Deepen the Family's Ordeal

For the family, the nightmare was only beginning. Days after the disappearance, relatives reportedly received ransom demands from the victim's phone, leading them to believe he had been kidnapped and was still alive.

The caller allegedly demanded N2 million for his release. Driven by desperation and hope, the family reportedly paid N120,000, unaware that the man they were trying to save had already lost his life. Authorities said the suspect allegedly collected the money and proceeded to conceal the crime. According to the NSCDC, he buried the victim in a shallow grave in a nearby bush.

During investigation, the suspect led operatives to the scene where a shallow grave believed to contain the remains of the victim was discovered

— Mohammed said.

The breakthrough came through the Command's tracking technology, which reportedly helped investigators trace the victim's phone and SIM card to the suspect. Both items were recovered during the operation. For residents of Ilorin, the case has sparked widespread shock and sadness, not only because of the brutality involved but because it allegedly stemmed from a relationship built on workplace familiarity and trust.

Many who knew Mr. Afolabi described him as a hardworking artisan whose daily commitment to his trade supported his family and contributed to the community. His death, they say, is a painful reminder of the growing dangers confronting ordinary Nigerians simply trying to earn an honest living. While investigations continue, the NSCDC said the matter would be transferred to the appropriate security agency for further action and prosecution once preliminary findings are concluded.

Mohammed reaffirmed the Corps' commitment to safeguarding lives and property across the state and stressed the importance of cooperation between citizens and security agencies.

We urge members of the public to remain vigilant and continue to provide credible and timely information that will assist security agencies in preventing and solving crimes

— he said.

As the investigation progresses, a grieving family is left to confront an unbearable reality: a man who left home to answer a work call never made it back. For them, the tragedy is no longer about a criminal case or an investigation. It is about a father, a relative and a breadwinner whose life was allegedly cut short by someone he trusted.

And for many Nigerians, it is yet another painful chapter in the growing human cost of crime.

On arriving the fake site, the suspect reportedly killed the victim when he violently hit him from the back with a sharp object inside the uncompleted building.

— Abbas Nda Mohammed,