By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The 23-year-old Ayomide Adeleye suspect over the murder of Christianah Idowu has been handed over to the Lagos State Police Command by the 9 Brigade of the Nigerian Army.
The handover, which took place today, September 5, 2024, at approximately 1400hrs, was announced by SP Benjamin Hundeyin on X (formerly Twitter).
Adeleye is reportedly linked to the tragic death of Christiana Idowu, a 300-level student of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, whose murder has sparked widespread outrage and calls for justice across Nigeria.
The investigation into the case is ongoing, as authorities work to uncover the full details surrounding the incident
The announcement by SP Hundeyin has drawn significant attention on social media, with many Nigerians closely following the developments and demanding swift justice for Christiana Idowu.
Christiana Idowu’s kidnap and death
On August 19, 2024, Christiana was reported missing after her kidnappers contacted her parents using her WhatsApp. They sent photos of her and asked for ₦1.5 million in ransom. Her parents managed to raise ₦350,000, which they sent to a betting account as instructed.
After receiving the ransom, the kidnappers requested a bank statement from Christiana’s family, which they provided on August 23. However, communication from the kidnappers ceased immediately after. Part of the ransom was moved to Christiana’s GTB account and then withdrawn into a Wema Bank account associated with Adeleye, a student at Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU).
On August 26, authorities began monitoring the bank accounts. By August 29, they identified the BVN linked to the betting account as belonging to Adeleye. He had already withdrawn ₦100,000 before the betting company froze the account. Investigators also discovered that Adeleye had a personal connection with Christiana, supported by evidence from their Instagram interactions.
The police tracked Adeleye’s phone to his parents’ house in Ikorodu. Soldiers from the 174 Battalion arrested him there.