A heartbreaking mystery has finally been solved after police uncovered the body of a man who disappeared nearly two years ago during violence linked to the Oyo Osun boundary dispute.
The discovery has reopened painful memories for his family and exposed fresh details about the deadly communal clashes that have troubled communities along the state border.
The victim, identified simply as Segun, had been declared missing in 2024 after renewed violence erupted around Iyana-Offa, Iyanagbo, and Oke-Oba Parapo.
However, what began as a missing person case has now turned into a murder investigation after police found his remains buried in a shallow grave.
Moreover, investigators have arrested another suspect believed to have supplied the ammunition allegedly used during the attack.
Three additional suspects are still being hunted as police continue efforts to unravel the full circumstances surrounding the killing.
The Oyo State Police Command said the breakthrough came after one of the suspects, Yusuf, was recently arrested over another shooting linked to a separate communal clash.
During questioning by detectives from the command’s Monitoring Unit, he allegedly confessed to taking part in Segun’s killing and revealed where the body had been hidden.
Speaking on the development, the Police Public Relations Officer, Ayanlade Olayinka, explained how the investigation took a dramatic turn.
“An individual identified as Segun was killed in 2024 by this suspect and three others who are still at large. They shot him, concealed his body and buried him in a shallow grave,” Olayinka said.
According to him, security agencies had spent months searching for the missing man without success.
“At that time, the Commissioner of Police, together with the Deputy Governor of Oyo State, visited the scene, but all efforts to locate the body of the deceased proved abortive, until recently when this same suspect shot at a man whom he alleged to have attacked him in the same community, bothering on land, and he was arrested,” he added.
Furthermore, police secured a court order before exhuming the remains from the shallow grave. The body was later deposited at a mortuary for proper examination.
“The body was properly exhumed and deposited in the mortuary. The family has also identified it as that of their son whom they had been searching for for years,” Olayinka stated.
Meanwhile, investigators confirmed that another suspect has been arrested for allegedly supplying the ammunition used during the deadly attack.
While speaking to journalists in police custody, Yusuf admitted shooting the deceased but claimed the incident happened during repeated clashes between rival communities.
“The people from Offa used to come and attack us every time,” he said.
He further explained what he claimed happened on the day of the incident.
“I was sleeping that day when they came. About seven of them stayed at the entrance of our village while two entered on motorcycles.”
According to him, one of the men allegedly recognized him and opened fire.
“He kept shouting, ‘that is him, that is him,’ and shot me in the chest. I survived the attack. Later, they came again and that was why I shot him.”
However, police said investigations are still ongoing, and the suspect’s claims will be examined alongside other available evidence before the matter proceeds to court.
The latest development has once again drawn attention to the long-running Oyo Osun boundary dispute, which has repeatedly sparked deadly clashes between neighboring communities. Over the years, disagreements over land ownership have resulted in deaths, destruction of property, and displacement of residents.
In addition, both the Oyo and Osun State governments have previously intervened alongside security agencies to restore peace. Senior government officials have also visited the affected communities following several violent outbreaks.
Nevertheless, police assured the public that efforts are ongoing to arrest the remaining suspects and ensure everyone connected to the alleged killing faces justice.
