The police in Kwara State are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a house wife, Rafat Azeez, whose mutilated body was found some days after her disappearance after some people suspected to be kidnappers allegedly called her relations asking for a N3 million ransom.
The incident, which occurred in Arandun, a sleepy rural community in Irepodun Local Government Area of the state, has sent jitters among residents while the traditional leadership of the area sought means of calming frayed nerves.
The remains of Rafat were discovered by a team of youths in the community, few days after her sudden disappearance, at a location identified as Gaa Animoro.
Rafat, a mother of five, was said to have left home on Sunday May 8, at about 6:45 pm, after allegedly receiving a strange anonymous call. A woman, identified as Sifawu Lawal, who claimed to be the deceased’s mother, explained that a search party was immediately organised when the alarm of her disappearance was raised by her children.
The old woman told newsmen that soon after the disappearance of the deceased, members of the family started receiving strange calls from Rafat’s mobile lines with some unidentified persons claiming responsibility for her abduction and demanding N3 million as ransom.
According to her, the callers who claimed that the victim was sold to them equally mentioned some names, including the victim’s husband, Disu Azeez, as the brain behind her disappearance. Those mentioned during the calls were subsequently arrested and transferred to the police headquarters in Ilorin for interrogation, it was gathered.
However, it was further gathered that youths in the community were not satisfied with the claim of the strange callers and suspecting foul play decided to organise another search party which led to the alleged discovery of the victim’s mutilated body.
A source in the community said: “The youth were suspecting foul play as regard the mentioned names and with the assistance of the town’s vigilante group they had to comb the entire community. It was then that the remains of the victim with her breasts, tongue and a leg dismembered from her body was discovered behind a Fulani settlement camp within the community.”
