The tragic story of Christianah Idowu, a student at Olabisi Onabanjo University, began on August 19, 2024, when she was declared missing by her family.
The family had received alarming messages from her abductors via her own WhatsApp number around 8:49 p.m.
This communication included disturbing images of Christianah in captivity, which were sent to her parents using the “view once” feature on WhatsApp, a method that prevents permanent access to the images.
The abductors demanded a ransom of N1.5 million for her release, an amount that Christianah’s parents struggled to raise.
They managed to gather N350,000 and quickly transferred the money, hoping it would secure the release of their daughter.
However, instead of releasing Christianah, the kidnappers requested that the ransom money be deposited into a betting account through a bank transfer.
Once the transaction was completed on August 22, the abductors shockingly requested that the bank statement of the sender be sent to their email address.
Despite the family complying with this unusual request on August 23, the abductors abruptly cut off all communication.
Unbeknownst to the family, the sum of N100,000 from the ransom was transferred into a Wema Bank account owned by the main suspect, Adeleye Ayomide, a 200-level Philosophy student at Olabisi Onabanjo University.
The police, in collaboration with intelligence operatives, began an in-depth investigation on August 26 to unravel the mystery behind the accounts involved in the transaction.
By August 29, they had confirmed that the BVN linked to the betting account used for the ransom belonged to Ayomide.
Further investigations revealed that Ayomide had a relationship with Christianah.
They were connected on social media, with both commenting on each other’s Instagram posts, indicating a friendly rapport.
Shockingly, the same bank account used for the ransom had previously been shared by Ayomide on Twitter, where he once begged for giveaway money, showing a trail of suspicious financial behaviour.
Through phone tracking and surveillance, security operatives tracked Ayomide to his family’s house in Ikorodu, Lagos State.
They confirmed his presence through active phone tracking, and personnel from the Nigerian Army’s 174 Battalion swiftly moved in to arrest him.
Upon his arrest, authorities discovered incriminating evidence linking Ayomide to Christianah’s abduction and murder.
They recovered Christianah’s blue ITEL A56 phone, with its unique IMEI number, in his possession.
Additionally, records on Ayomide’s phone showed the movement of money from Christianah’s account, linking him to the transactions made to the betting account.
Investigators also found email communications between Ayomide’s personal email and the email that had been used to communicate with Christianah’s family during the ransom negotiations.
As the investigation unfolded, Ayomide reportedly confessed to both his father and military personnel that he had killed Christianah and buried her body within the compound of his family’s home.
This shocking confession has raised even more disturbing questions about Ayomide’s past.
According to unverified reports, he may have been involved in two other mysterious deaths prior to Christianah’s murder. In 2018, his ex-girlfriend was allegedly killed under suspicious circumstances.
Then, in 2020, his own biological sister was found dead in a similar manner. While these allegations are still under investigation, they have led to growing suspicions that Ayomide could be a serial killer.
A source close to the investigation remarked, “It’s devastating. We’re looking at the possibility that this man has been involved in multiple deaths, and it’s horrifying to think that he was able to evade justice for so long.”
News of Christianah’s murder has sparked outrage on social media, with the hashtag #JusticeForChristianah gaining widespread traction.
Nigerians across the country are calling for swift justice, and many are expressing their fear and concern over the safety of students, especially those attending university far from home.
Many Twitter users have voiced their anger at the brutality of the crime. One user, @Letter_to_Jack, who has been following the case closely, wrote, “How can someone murder his own friend in cold blood? Christianah didn’t deserve this. We need justice, and we need it fast.”
Another Twitter user added, “The system needs to change. Young people shouldn’t have to live in fear of those they call friends. We demand that the police and authorities do everything in their power to make sure this man never harms another person again.”
