Story Summary:
- Suspect Arrested: Nigerian Army confirms the arrest of Adeleye Ayomide, suspected of killing Idowu Christiana, a 300-level FUNAAB student.
- Abduction Details: Christiana was kidnapped on August 19, 2024, along Ikorodu-Yaba Road in Lagos State.
- Ransom Paid: Kidnappers initially demanded N3 million, later accepting N350,000, but they did not release the student.
- Army Involvement: Soldiers from the 174 Battalion arrested Ayomide, with plans to hand him over to the Lagos State Police Command.
- Student Union Statement: FUNAAB’s Student Union confirmed Christiana’s death and plans to address the incident.
The Nigerian Army has confirmed the arrest of Adeleye Ayomide, the prime suspect in the death of Idowu Christiana, a 300-level student of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Ogun State.
Christiana was abducted on Monday, August 19, 2024, by suspected kidnappers along the Ikorodu-Yaba Road in Lagos State. Initially, the kidnappers demanded a ransom of N3 million for her release. After several negotiations, they agreed to a reduced amount of N350,000, which was paid, but the abductors failed to free the student.
In a telephone interview with our correspondent, the spokesperson for the 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, Lt-Col. Olabisi Ayeni, confirmed Ayomide’s arrest by soldiers from the 174 Battalion.
He stated, “Yes, I am aware of the case. We arrested him, and the 9 Brigade Nigerian Army will hand him over to the Lagos State Police Command today. You can contact them for further details.”
The Lagos State Police Command spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the handover on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, saying, “23-year-old Ayomide Adeleye has been handed over to #LagosPoliceNG by 9 Brigade #HQNigerianArmy.
The handover took place today, September 5, 2024, at about 1400hrs. Investigation is ongoing.”
The president of FUNAAB’s Student Union Government, Ibrahim Adeyemi, also confirmed Christiana’s death, stating in a phone interview, “The union can confirm that she was reportedly killed by her abductor. We will be addressing the matter soon.”
Christiana’s tragic death has sparked outrage on social media, especially on X, where the hashtag #JusticeForChristiana has been trending, amassing over 90,000 posts. Many users have pointed fingers at Ayomide, a student of Philosophy at Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ogun State, as the prime suspect.
One user, Tommy, using the handle #Tommyjr277, tweeted, “Our friend, Christiana is dead. A Funaabite, she was abducted by this Ayomide. We want justice for our friend. The suspect is reportedly at the 174 Battalion in Ikorodu. He must face the wrath of the law.”
Another user, Man of Letters (@Letter_to_Jack), tweeted that Ayomide had confessed to killing and burying Christiana after an investigation by military operatives, who found evidence linking the two via social media activity and cell phone tracking.
According to his tweets, operatives tracked Ayomide to his parents’ home in Ikorodu using his mobile phone, leading to his arrest. Among the evidence reportedly recovered from the suspect was Christiana’s blue ITEL A56 phone.
As the investigation continues, Nigerians demand swift justice for Christiana.
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