A wave of shock and grief has swept through the town of Itobe, in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State, following the alleged assassination of Yakubu Bello Yerima, a well-known businessman and influential figure in the state’s informal petroleum sector.
According to eyewitnesses, Yerima was called out of his house in the New Layout area of Itobe on Friday night, and his lifeless body was later found on the roadside with severe injuries to his head and hand, and blood stains at the scene. The remains were buried earlier today in Itobe, according to Islamic rites, without any autopsy or formal investigation.
The community is demanding justice and urging the police to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death. “We are not only mourning.
We are demanding justice,” a community elder told reporters. “This kind of killing cannot become normal in Kogi State.”
– Local groups are organizing prayer sessions and peaceful processions in Itobe to condemn the killing.
Civic leaders have urged the public to remain calm but vigilant, while posters calling for justice and carrying Yerima’s image have begun to circulate on social media and around major intersections in town.
The ADC to the Governor of Imo State, Alhaji Ahmed Abdul Mumin, described Yerima’s death as “an act of murder — a direct assault on peace, justice, and humanity.”
The community is urging the Commissioner of Police in Lokoja to take immediate action and bring the perpetrators to justice.
The police are yet to release an official statement on the incident, but the community is calling on the public to share any useful information with the nearest police station or contact the Nigeria Police Force directly.
This incident highlights the growing security concerns in Kogi State, where several attacks have been reported in recent times. In April, the Nigeria Police confirmed the killing of 19 persons in Kogi State, and in another incident, armed bandits attacked a community, killing over 40 people
