Man Beheads 18-Year-Old Cousin in Edo Over Old Grudge

BENIN CITY, Edo State — A chilling case of premeditated murder has rocked the Evbuoarue community in Orhionmwon Local Government Area, after a 25-year-old labourer, Ibrahim Oseni, allegedly beheaded his teenage cousin to settle a year-long score.

The victim, 18-year-old Hassan Suleiman, was reportedly lured to his death under the guise of a medical emergency, unaware that his cousin had been nursing a grudge since their time together in Katsina State in 2025.

According to the Edo State Security Corps (ESSC), the duo had a heated dispute in their hometown in Katsina last year. Although the matter was thought to be settled, Oseni reportedly carried the bitterness with him when they both moved to Edo State for menial work.

On February 19, 2026, Oseni allegedly feigned a stomach upset and pleaded with Suleiman to take him into the bush on his motorcycle to search for medicinal herbs. Once they reached a secluded farm road, Oseni reportedly pulled out a cutlass and decapitated his younger cousin.

In a bizarre twist, Oseni returned to the community and was the one to “inform” residents of Suleiman’s death. He even led a search party to the exact location of the body. However, his intimate knowledge of the crime scene and the circumstances of the discovery raised immediate red flags among the locals

The Edo State Security Corps (ESSC) was alerted, and operatives from the Evbuoarue unit swiftly apprehended the suspect.

“The cutlass used by the suspect to behead his cousin was found under his sleeping mat,” confirmed Richard Balogun, ESSC Deputy Commander of Operations.

Balogun further revealed that Oseni has confessed to the crime, citing retaliation for their 2025 dispute as his primary motive. The suspect, along with the recovered exhibits, has been handed over to the Ugo Divisional Police Headquarters for further investigation and prosecution.