Police arrest four over killing of Kogi varsity student

The Kogi police command has arrested four suspects over the killing of Damilola Oluwoyo, a 19-year-old 100 level student of the Federal University, Lokoja.

The suspects arrested are Jeremiah Awe, Barnabas Olugbenga, Ajani Ayomide and Emmanuel Otitoju.

The suspects were paraded at the police headquarters in Lokoja on Friday.

William Aya, Kogi police public relations officer, said Oluwoyo was reported missing on September 4 and the police immediately commenced investigation, leading to the arrest of Awe — the prime suspect.

Aya said Awe lured the victim into the bush and killed her for ritual purposes.

“Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, attached to the State Intelligence Department (SID), Kogi Command, on 11/09/2024 at about 1615hrs arrested a 21 years old Jeremiah Paul Awe of Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State who is responsible for the kidnapped and killing of 17 years old Damilola Abigail Oluwoyo, a 100 Level Student of Biology Department of Federal University Lokoja,” Aya said.

“This is consequence upon a complaint received on 6Th September, 2024 from one Stephen Oluwoyo that, his daughter Damilola was missing and that her GSM number could not be reached after her examination on 2nd September, 2024.

“He further stated that he received a message from an unknown GSM number that his daughter Damilola has been abducted and the abductor demanded for a ransom.

“The Operatives promptly swung into action through an actionable intelligence with the assistance of the Technical Intelligence Unit (TIU) from the Force Headquarters, trailed and arrested the suspect one Jeremiah Paul Awe on 11/09/2024 in Connection with the crime.”

Aya said during interrogation, Paul confessed to kidnapping and killing Oluwoyo on September 4.

“He further confessed that, he added a drug (codeine) into a drink and gave it to her to make her weak and lured her into a nearby bush close to his lodge at Felele area of Lokoja where he strangled her to death, mutilated her eyes, lung, liver, tongue, intestines, and fleshy parts of her buttocks and dumped the corpse in the bush,” he added.

After killing Oluwoyo, the suspect was said to have called the deceased father, demanding  ransom “to enable him meet up with the requirements for the rituals from the native doctor whom he met on TikTok”.

“The father of the deceased sent the sum of N400,000 as ransom unknown to him that his daughter was already dead,” Aya said.

“On 11/09/2024, the suspect led the team of Operatives to the scene where the corpse of late Damilola was recovered, evacuated and deposited at the Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja mortuary for autopsy.

“Further investigation led to the arrest of three other suspects: Barnabas Olugbenga 20 years old from Kaduna State; Ajani Basit Ayomide of Felele 20 years old; Emmanuel Otitoju 24 years, two of which are his friends who aided the crime.”

Aya cautioned students and parents to be vigilant, and assured that the police have intensified efforts to rid the state of criminal elements.

“This case shows the extent some people will go, even a 20-year-old boy, to commit such inhuman acts. Students need to be cautious of who they associate with,” Aya said.

“The eagle eyes of the police and other security agencies are on all criminals. We will ensure that Kogi state is not a safe haven for crime.”

He added that the suspects will be charged to court after the conclusion of the investigation.

The incident comes days after Christiana Idowu, a female student of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) was murdered in Lagos.

Idowu was reported abducted earlier in August between Ikorodu and Yaba in Lagos.

The alleged killer has also been arrested by the police.