Ogun Barber Shot Dead by Suspected Cultists

A sense of shock and tension gripped Obantoko, Abeokuta, Ogun State, after 39-year-old barber Toheeb Folarin was brutally murdered on Tuesday night.

The Ogun State police command reported that the incident occurred around 10 p.m., when suspected cultists attacked Folarin’s barbershop. The victim was shot in the left chest and found with his left wrist severed, lying in a pool of blood.

Omolola Odutola, the police spokesperson, confirmed the horrific details and stated that the crime escalated tensions in the community, prompting the deployment of security personnel to restore order. Investigations into the murder are ongoing.

“The tragic incident occurred on January 7, 2025, at approximately 10:10 p.m. The police station received information about the crime through members of the public, specifically from Jimoh Afolabi, a community leader, and Omotosho Basiru, a relative of the deceased. Upon receiving the report, a team of detectives led by Divisional Police Officer CSP Akindipe Michael, alongside a joint patrol team from the Adatan Area Command and the Anti-Cultism Unit, swiftly visited the crime scene,” Odutola explained.

She also noted that the police faced resistance from about 300 angry youths when they attempted to move Folarin’s body to the mortuary. The youths insisted on burying the victim according to Islamic rites the next day. The victim’s family also withdrew from further police investigations, submitting an affidavit to support their stance.

Odutola reiterated that the police were committed to bringing those responsible for the murder to justice and urged the community to provide any helpful information.

This tragedy follows a similar incident in August 2024 when another barber, Femi Adeshina, was fatally stabbed in the Kuto area of Ogun State.