The Kwara State Police Command has begun a manhunt for the killers of a hotel receptionist in Ilorin, identified simply as Yemi, whose death has unsettled residents and business owners in the area.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the attack occurred in the early hours of Sunday when yet-to-be-identified assailants allegedly gained access to the hotel and strangled the young woman while she was on duty.
Confirming the incident on Wednesday, the spokesperson for the command, SP Adetoun Ejire Adeyemi, said the case was reported by the hotel manager.
She described the incident as a case of culpable homicide, adding that operatives from the A Division were deployed to the scene immediately after the distress call.
“The victim was found with a white cloth suspected to have been used to strangulate her,” the PPRO said.
The hotel manager, identified as Mr Akin, told PUNCH Metro that he woke up to several missed calls from the hotel’s official line.
According to him, attempts to call back were met with a chilling warning from an unknown man.
“When I called back, a man picked up and told me never to call the number again. I immediately rushed to the hotel.
On getting there, I found Yemi lying lifeless on the floor, and I quickly alerted the police,” he said, visibly shaken.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Adekimi Ojo, has ordered a full scale investigation and directed detectives to track down the perpetrators.
“Efforts have been intensified to identify and arrest those behind this heinous crime. No stone will be left unturned in ensuring justice is served.
Further updates will be communicated as the investigation progresses,” the command stated.
The killing has renewed concerns over night time security in hotels and other hospitality businesses in Ilorin, with residents calling for tighter surveillance and stronger regulatory oversight.
In a separate incident, the command on Tuesday confirmed that suspected bandits killed two people and injured another during attacks in Eruku, a boundary town in the Ekiti Local Government Area.
A parish of the Christ Apostolic Church was among the locations targeted, with one worshipper killed during the raid, while another victim was later found dead in the bush.