The Kwara State Police Command has confirmed the killing of a farmer, Azeez Garba, in Isin Local Government Area of the state and launched a comprehensive investigation to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Ojo Adekimi, directed the State Criminal Investigation Department to immediately take over the case and deploy all available investigative and intelligence resources to identify and arrest those responsible for the killing.

The directive was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by the State Police Public Relations Officer, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi.

The police commissioner described the killing as “cruel, senseless, and unacceptable,” assuring residents that every available lead was being pursued.

The statement partly read, “The Commissioner of Police has ordered a comprehensive and discreet investigation into the gruesome murder of a farmer, Mr Azeez Garba, whose lifeless body was discovered on his farmland along the Owa-Onire axis, a boundary between Isanlu-Isin and Owu-Isin in Isin Local Government Area of Kwara State.”

According to the police, preliminary findings showed that the deceased left for his farm but failed to return home, prompting a search by family members and local vigilantes.

“His motorcycle was later found parked at the farm, while his lifeless body was subsequently discovered a short distance away with deep machete wounds,” the statement added.

The command said no arrest had been made but assured the bereaved family and the public that investigators were working to identify and prosecute everyone connected with the crime.

“Every available lead is being diligently pursued. Investigators are working assiduously to unravel the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident and ensure that all those connected with this heinous crime are identified and brought to justice,” the police said.

The development follows an earlier appeal by the deceased’s family for security agencies to investigate the killing and ensure justice.

Speaking with The PUNCH, the deceased’s second daughter, Abdulazeez Rofiat, said her father left home for his cocoa farm but never returned.

She said local hunters later found his body in a nearby bush after discovering his motorcycle at the farm.

“We want those responsible for this terrible crime to be identified, arrested, and prosecuted according to the law. My father deserves justice, and our family deserve answers. We will continue to seek justice until those responsible are held accountable,” she said.