Armed robbers have killed Idris Clement, a 47-year-old refrigerator and air conditioner technician, in Akure, the capital of Ondo State. The attackers stormed his home in the Shagari area of Akure South Local Council Development Area in the early hours of Sunday, around 1:00am.
Three suspected robbers invaded the community and targeted multiple homes before forcing their way into Clement's compound. They attacked two other houses in the neighbourhood before reaching the residence where the father of five lived.
Clement's son, AbdulFatai Clement, recounted the horror of that night to reporters. "My father didn't want to take any chances, so he confronted one of the robbers to protect us," he said.
The confrontation turned deadly when more attackers emerged from the darkness. "He didn't know there were about three or four of them and that they carried heavy weapons," AbdulFatai told journalists.
The robbers descended on Clement with axes and cutlasses in a vicious assault. One of them then pulled a gun and fired at him, he added.
"The robbers ran away immediately after he fell to the ground," AbdulFatai said. "We rushed him to hospital, but he'd lost too much blood by then."
Doctors at the hospital confirmed Clement dead on arrival. The family has called on security agencies to track down everyone involved in the crime and bring them to justice.
The brutal killing has angered residents across Akure. Many have expressed concerns about the rising wave of armed robbery attacks in residential areas.
The Ondo State Police Command confirmed the incident and said one suspect has been arrested. DSP Jimoh Abayomi, the police public relations officer for the state, told journalists that security operatives apprehended the suspect and he's currently assisting investigators with their inquiry into the robbery and murder.
