By Ayodele Popoola

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Operatives of the Ondo State Police command have arrested an 18-year old suspected cultist, Suleiman Ahmed Dantata for the murder of a young man after breaking Ramadan.

The incident happened on March 28, 2025, at about 8:30pm at Elegbeka community via Ipele, Owo, Ose Local Government area of Ondo State.

Dantata, along with a 23-year old accomplice, Ohi Usman, was accused of macheting the deceased to death.

It was learnt that Usman helped the suspect tracked the movements of the deceased on the tragic day.

According to the deceased’s brother, Dantata had arrived at the deceased mother’s shop immediately after the breaking of the Ramadan. On sighting his target, he inflicted severe machete cuts on his neck, and ran away.

Sources revealed that the father of the deceased, who is one of the community leaders had earlier confronted Dantata about being a member of a deadly cult group and that the suspect should leave the community as he was not conveniently living with him in the community.

The source further stated that the suspects had  attempted to kill the deceased’s father but  when his attempt to kill the man failed, he went after the deceased and hacked him to death

The community youths, sympathetic to Ibrahim’s family, went on a rampage upon hearing the news of his death and ran after him and he was arrested.

Upon his arrest, the police subsequently arraigned the suspects before a Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting at Oke Eda, Akure for alleged conspiracy and murder

The prosecutor, Josephine Awana told the court that the defendant and his accomplice inflicted a machete cut on Ibrahim’s neck, which led to his death.

The charge read: “That you, Dantata Suleiman Ahmed ‘m’ and on 28/3/2025, 8.30pm, at Elegbeka community via Ipele, Owo, in Magisterial District, conspired to commit felony to wit, murder and thereby committed an offense contrary to and punishable under Section 324 of the Criminal Code, Law of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006.”

“That you, Dantata Suleiman Ahmed in the aforementioned Magisterial District did unlawfully macheted the neck of Raimi Ibrahim ‘m’ with a cutlass which resulted in his death and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 316 and punishable under section 516 Vol.1, Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006.

The Chief Magistrate, Olateju Odenusi-Fadeyi, who did not take the defendants’ pleas, ordered that they should be remanded in Olokuta Correctional facility and adjourned the case to May 14, for ruling.