Father Of Murdered FUNAAB Student Cries Out Over Suspect’s Whereabouts
The father of Christiana Idowu, a 300-level student of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, has raised alarm that one year after her murder, there is still no clarity on the fate of the alleged killer, 23-year-old Ayomide Adeleye.
Christiana was abducted in August 2024 while travelling from her home in Itaoluwo, Ikorodu, to the University of Lagos, Yaba, where she was undergoing her industrial training.
Adeleye, a philosophy student of Olabisi Onabanjo University, was later handed over to the police by the Nigerian Army after confessing that he lured Christiana to his home under the pretext of fixing her phone before killing her.
“I killed her because I had financial problems,” Adeleye was quoted as saying in his chilling confession.
He was also accused of strangling the student and extorting N360,000 from her mother while pretending she was still alive.
His arrest followed investigators tracing his SportyBet account, where he uploaded his National Identification Number.
In a video obtained on Sunday by PUNCH Online, Christiana’s father, Mr. Idowu Oluwafemi, lamented that he had been kept in the dark over the case.
“Hello Nigerians, I’m Mr. Idowu Oluwafemi, the father of Christiana Idowu, who was murdered by a friend. It’s getting to a year now and the boy was arrested in the police custody. I’ve not heard anything concerning the case,” he said.
He described his daughter as brilliant and begged Nigerians to help him demand justice.
“My daughter, she’s all that brilliant and I want you Nigerians to come to my aid. It’s a girl of 300 level in FUNAAB, and up to a year now I’ve not heard anything about a case. Please, I’m helpless, I’m in the dark, and I want you Nigerians to come to my aid and help me. Please, I can’t just allow a girl just to go like that. Please, Nigerians, come to my aid. I don’t know whether the guy has been released at the moment. Please, help me, kindly help me. Please, Nigerians,” he pleaded.
Reacting to the video, Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, assured that Adeleye had not been released.
He cited a January 2025 statement from the Nigerian Correctional Service confirming that the suspect remained in custody.
The NCoS statement read, “The said inmate aged 23 years with Custody Number: S-1995/24 was remanded at the Maximum Security Custodial Centre (MSCC), Kiri-kiri, Lagos, for offence of kidnapping and murder on the 26th September 2024 by Magistrate Court 13A, Ogba, Lagos State, and was produced to same court on 16 December, 2024. The Service wishes to categorically state that the said inmate is still in the custody of the MSCC Kirikiri, Lagos, as ordered by the court.”
The Service explained that confusion over the case arose because of another inmate with a similar name who had been discharged earlier in 2024. It further warned journalists against spreading misinformation.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
