In a harrowing revelation, 23-year-old Ayomide Adeleye, a philosophy student at Olabisi Onabanjo University, has confessed to the murder of 18-year-old Christiana Idowu, a church member, due to financial struggles.
Adeleye, currently in custody at the Lagos State Police Command Tactical Unit in Ikeja, explained how he lured Idowu to his home under the pretense of repairing her phone. The incident took place when Idowu, an Industrial Training student at Yaba College of Technology, visited Adeleye’s residence around 5 PM.
Describing the chilling details of the murder, he stated, “I just grabbed her, applied pressure. She started struggling... I squeezed her throat, and she gave up.”
After the crime, Adeleye devised a gruesome plan to dispose of Idowu's body and extort money from her mother. He dug a shallow grave in his backyard and buried Idowu’s body early the next morning. “By 4 AM, I continued digging. I did not close my eyes till daybreak,” he said.
In a cruel twist, Adeleye contacted Idowu’s mother, demanding a ransom. “The first thing I said to her was, ‘Hello, madam. We have your daughter,’” he recounted. Through threats and manipulation, he managed to extort N360,000 from her, knowing full well she couldn’t afford the initial demand of three million.
“I gave her a SportyBet account to pay the money in order to avoid being traced,” he explained, later asking for an extra N10,000, which the grieving mother reluctantly provided.
Adeleye’s downfall came when authorities traced his SportyBet account, where he had uploaded his National Identification Number (NIN), revealing his personal details and location. “If I had not uploaded my NIN, it would just be an empty account,” he admitted.
Expressing remorse for his actions, Adeleye said, “I regret that I killed her because my mum and her mum were friends. I don’t deserve any mercy... I feel remorseful for what I have done. If there’s any way I could be given a second chance, I want to be given one, but I deserve death.”
The chilling case highlights the tragic consequences of desperation and violence, leaving a community in shock and mourning.
