The Kwara State Police Command, on Friday, paraded six suspects, including the parents of one of the suspects, for the alleged murder of a 21-year-old student of Kwara State College of Health Technology, Offa, Awesu Mojisola.
The suspects were Adebayo Joshua, Adebayo Adeniyi, Adeniyi Bukola, Adeoye Adeola, Lawal Aminat and Bulus Peter.
The state’s Commissioner of Police, Victor Olaiya, who briefed journalists on the exploits of the command in recent time, said Iphone 11P10 was recovered from the suspects as exhibit.
“On August 13, 2024, at about 1500 hours, the Offa police station received a report from one Ogungbenro Blessing, a female resident of the Gbomi area, Offa, Kwara State. She reported that her roommate, Awesu Mojisola, a 21-year-old graduating student of Kwara State College of Health Technology, had gone missing under suspicious circumstances.
“The incident occurred on August 9, 2024, at about 1500 hours, when Awesu Mojisola received a phone call from one Kolawola Timileyin, a female student from the same institution. Timileyin relayed a message from Adebayo Joshua Happiness, an expelled final-year student of Summit University, Offa, Kwara State.
“Adebayo Joshua Happiness invited Awesu Mojisola to attend a purported sign-out party at Whitefield Hotel, Ilorin, Kwara State, with a promise of N15,000. Mojisola accepted the invitation and left Offa for llorin later that day.
“Upon arrival at Ilorin, Mojisola communicated with her friends via phone, expressing discomfort and concern as there appeared to be no sign-out party. Instead, she reported being alone in a hotel room with Adebayo Joshua Happiness, who was reportedly smoking cannabis. Subsequently, her phone became unreachable, and her whereabouts were unknown.
“Acting swiftly on the report, investigation by officers of the command led to the arrest of Adebayo Joshua Happiness,” the Police commissioner said.
Olaiya added that preliminary findings revealed that Adebayo Joshua Happiness had deliberately lured Awesu Mojisola to Ilorin under false pretences, booking a hotel room at around 1800 hours with no intention of hosting any party.
He said further investigation uncovered that at about 2345 hours on the same day, Adebayo Joshua Happiness booked an additional room at the same hotel for another female, possibly as a cover-up for his premeditated actions.
“In the early hours of August 10, 2024, Adebayo Joshua Happiness brutally murdered Awesu Mojisola. He abandoned her lifeless body in the hotel room, secured the room, and fled with Mojisola’s iPhone and a sum of N15,600 stolen from the deceased. He then returned to Offa and concealed the stolen phone in his hostel wardrobe.
“Through careful and discreet investigation, Mr. and Mrs. Adebayo Adeniyi, the suspect’s parents, were apprehended. Following their son’s arrest. They attempted to tamper with evidence by retrieving Adebayo Joshua Happiness’ belongings from his school. It was discovered that Mrs. Adeniyi Bukola had removed the SIM card from the deceased’s iPhone and concealed it within a wall some distance from their residence. Contrary to Adebayo Joshua Happiness’ initial claim that he had discarded the phone in Afelele river, Offa, both the iPhone and SIM card were recovered from his parents’ possession.
“After further investigation, it was discovered that the hotel staff on duty found the deceased’s body in the room and unlawfully disposed off her body at the refuse dump. The suspects involved in this act have been apprehended and charged with criminal conspiracy and causing disappearance of evidence.
“Investigation remains ongoing, and all suspects are in custody. Upon completion of investigation, the suspects will be duly charged to court to face the full extent of the law,” CP Olaiya said.
The commissioner of Police also paraded one Ajiro Kayode for the alleged murder of one Abraham Babatunde in Omu-Aran, Irepodun local government area of the state.
He said that the suspect, who was employed as a driver by the deceased, had told the family of the victim that Babatunde allegedly fell inside his toilet and died.
He said that during a meticulous investigation, the suspect confessed to committing the heinous act, adding that: “On the night of August 20, 2024, at about 2215hours, Ajiro Kayode admitted to sneaking into Chief Abraham Babatunde’s room and brutally assaulting him with a short, hard plank. He struck the deceased multiple times on the back of the head, resulting in his death. To cover up the crime, Ajiro Kayode then dragged Chief Abraham Babatunde’s lifeless body into the toilet to create the false impression that he had accidentally fallen.”