ILORIN, Jan. 24, 2026 — The Kwara State Police Command has arraigned seven suspects before the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin over allegations that they conspired to set fire to the residence of a traditional religion practitioner, Toyin Asabi Olorisa, in what investigators and local reports have linked to concerns about religious intolerance.
The defendants appeared on Friday before Justice Mahmud Gafar. Prosecutors told the court that the suspects, alongside “others still at large,” conspired to commit arson and intentionally set Olorisa’s home ablaze on January 1, 2026, while she was away on holiday. The charge, as read in open court, said the act is punishable under the state’s criminal law framework.
Reports identified the accused as including Alhaji Yekini Oloruntele, Alhaji Saliu Usman, Garba Amuda Yusuf, Alhaji Mumini Showa, Imam Isiaq Raji, and Alhaji Saliu Abubakar AbdulMumini Muhammed, with at least one other suspect referenced in court filings and media accounts as part of the group of seven. All defendants pleaded not guilty.
The complainant, represented by Abdulmumeen Busari of the Kwara State Ministry of Justice, asked the court to remand the defendants in a correctional facility pending trial. Defence counsel, I. F. Yusuf, opposed the application and urged the court to admit the suspects to bail.
After hearing both sides, Justice Gafar granted bail to the defendants, noting that police had previously released them on administrative bail during the investigation. Each suspect was admitted to bail in the sum of ₦2.5 million with one surety, and the matter was adjourned to March 26, 2026, for further hearing.
The arraignment follows early-January police actions after the fire at Isale Koko, Ilorin. In an earlier update, police spokesperson SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi said the command had begun a full investigation and confirmed initial arrests, amid allegations that threats and disputes tied to religious differences preceded the incident.
The case has drawn attention in Kwara, where civil society voices have urged authorities to ensure accountability and protection of religious freedom and property rights irrespective of belief, while investigators continue efforts to identify and arrest other alleged collaborators said to be at large.
