Rita Odafe
Ayomide Adeleye, a 23-year-old philosophy student from Olabisi Onabanjo University, is currently facing serious consequences after a tragic incident. Residing with his family in Ikorodu, Lagos, he is in police custody, reflecting on the impact of his actions.
He shared his sorrow, revealing that following his arrest, he attempted self-harm in prison, but authorities intervened to prevent him from harming himself.
His narrative unfolds:
“I was born in Surulere in June 2001. My family later moved to Ikorodu where we have our own home. I’m the eldest of four siblings, one of whom has passed away. My father works as a boat driver, and my parents once worked at Eko Hotel. After they married, one of them gave up their job. My mother remained at work until 2011. I’m a member of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.”
Details of the incident:
“I had been away from home for over six months when I started receiving messages from 18-year-old Christiana Idowu. She was trying to reach me about her phone, which I had fixed for her previously. We knew each other from church and had been friends for three years. When I returned home for the end of the semester, she visited my home to ask for help with her phone, arriving around 5 p.m. She had her belongings from school with her. Upon examining her phone, I realized it only needed a battery replacement and that the screen could be repaired easily, but she was not interested in replacing the battery.”
What led to the crime?
“Faced with financial difficulties, I made the tragic decision to strangle her while she was distracted by my phone. I then attempted to extort her mother by claiming Christiana had been kidnapped and demanded a ransom. It was a drizzly evening, and during the commotion, I managed to overpower her, applying pressure until she ceased to struggle. After placing her body on a chair, I took a photograph to send to her mother as proof of the kidnapping. I left her body there and planned how to hide it.”
The burial:
“Later that night, around 11 p.m., I started digging a grave behind our house. It had rained earlier, softening the ground, but I couldn’t dig deep enough before I became exhausted and went to sleep. At 4 a.m., I resumed digging and finally created a shallow grave large enough for her to be buried. I buried her and covered the grave before dawn.”
Contacting the mother:
“Using her phone, I called Christiana’s mother, as I was able to access her contacts. I introduced myself with a direct threat. Initially, she didn’t take me seriously, but I followed up with a text message that included the photo of her daughter. I demanded a ransom of three million naira, knowing she was a single mother and that amount was unrealistic for her. After several exchanges, she managed to gather 350,000 naira, which I instructed her to transfer to an account in order to mask my identity.”
How he was caught:
“I was apprehended not by the police but by soldiers, as they traced my identity through the betting platform I used for the transaction. By submitting my national identification number, my details were easily accessible. Additionally, having the deceased’s phone allowed them to pinpoint my location.”
Reflecting on his actions:
“I regret taking Christiana’s life deeply. We had a close friendship, and I had known her for years. Our mothers were also friends.”
Mental state and last moments:
“I prefer solitude and don’t socialize much. On that day, Christiana was focused on a TikTok video; she didn’t have a chance to say anything before the incident occurred.”
What he wishes for now:
“Given my actions, I don’t believe I deserve forgiveness. I acknowledge the wrongness of my choices and truly regret them. If there’s any way I could have a second chance, I would desire that, but I feel I truly deserve punishment for my crime. I’ve even contemplated ending my own life while in custody.”
