A Philosophy student of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ogun State, Ayomide Adeleye, has been arrested in connection with the kidnap and suspected murder of Christiannah Idowu, a student from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB).
The tragic kidnap and murder of Christiannah have sparked outrage on social media, with many Nigerians demanding justice and immediate prosecution of the suspect. Reports reveal that 23-year-old Ayomide has confessed to the crime.
Beyond Boders reported that Christiannah was reported missing on August 19, 2024. Her parents were contacted by the kidnappers through her own WhatsApp account, with the first message arriving at around 8:49 p.m.
The kidnappers sent photos of Christiannah in captivity using the ‘view once’ feature on WhatsApp and demanded a ransom of N1,500,000.
Christiannah’s parents managed to raise N350,000 and were told to deposit it into a betting account through a bank transfer. After receiving the money, the kidnappers asked for a copy of the bank statement, but they stopped communicating afterward.
It was later discovered that money was transferred into Christiannah’s GTBank account on August 22, and then moved to a Wema Bank account linked to the primary suspect. Investigations showed that the suspect withdrew N100,000 from the betting account before the authorities could block it.
Police sources indicated that Ayomide was connected to Christiannah through their interactions on social media.
Tracking his phone activities led operatives to his parents’ house in Ikorodu, Lagos, where Nigerian Army personnel from the 174th Battalion arrested him.
The suspect’s phone had evidence of the transactions and communication with Christiannah’s family. After his arrest, Ayomide reportedly confessed to his father and soldiers that he had killed Christiannah and buried her at his home.
Unconfirmed reports suggest that Ayomide’s ex-girlfriend was killed in 2018, and his biological sister died under similar circumstances in 2020.
Reacting to the incident, Festus Ogun, a human rights activist and alumni of OOU, expressed his disappointment, stating, “I’m so embarrassed that this boy is a student of OOU. On behalf of the management and alumni of OOU, we disassociate ourselves from him. He doesn’t represent our values. #JusticeForChristianah.”
Lagos State Police Spokesman, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed that Ayomide had been handed over to the police by the Nigerian Army for further investigation. The case is ongoing.
