Public safety incident

A middle-aged man was reportedly killed on Friday following a violent clash between suspected rival cult groups at the popular Oja-Oba Market in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.
PUNCH Online reports that the incident, which occurred in the busy commercial hub of the city, sparked panic among traders, motorists and pedestrians who fled the area to avoid being caught in the violence.
Activities were abruptly disrupted across the market and adjoining roads as commuters and residents hurriedly avoided major routes, including Emir Road, Ita-Ajia and the Gambari axis.
Traders were also seen hurriedly shutting their stalls while others scampered to safer locations as the situation escalated.
Security personnel stationed within the market later moved in to restore order and pursued several suspects believed to have been involved in the confrontation.
A police source confirmed the incident to our correspondent via phone call, explaining that the victim was a suspected cultist who confronted officers during an attempted arrest.
“The incident involved a cult member who, at the point of arrest, brought out his gun and pointed it at a police officer.
“He was eventually neutralised by the operatives while his gun and assorted local charms were recovered from him,” he added.
The source further disclosed that the body of the deceased was later evacuated from the scene by police operatives using a patrol Hilux vehicle.
The latest development comes amid ongoing efforts by the Kwara State Police Command to clamp down on cult-related activities across Ilorin and other parts of the state.
The PUNCH had earlier reported that the state Commissioner of Police, CP Adekimi Ojo, announced a recent arrest of several suspected members of secret cult groups across the metropolis following an intensive investigation into cult activities.
According to him, the investigation was launched after a fatal cult-related incident on January 6, 2026, in front of Imam Filling Station in the Kulende area of Ilorin, where a 28-year-old man, Victor Mathew Nwachukwu, was shot dead by suspected cultists.