Ondo State Police Arrest Landlord And Accomplices In Kidnap And Murder Of Adekunle Ajasin University Students.
The Ondo State Police Command has apprehended a landlord, Oladele Femi, and two others in connection with the abduction, rape, and murder of two undergraduates from Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA). The victims, Abah John Friday, 25, a student in the Department of Economics, and Okah Andrel Eloho, 19, from the Department of History and International Studies, were reported missing on 20 June 2025, sparking widespread concern among their peers and the university community.
The grim discovery of Okah’s body last week in a forested area near the Ondo-Ekiti state border, three weeks after the students’ disappearance, confirmed fears of foul play. Efforts to locate Abah’s remains, believed to have been dumped in a river by an accomplice still at large, are ongoing. Ondo State Police Commissioner, Adebowale Lawal, briefed journalists in Akure on Wednesday, 16 July 2025, revealing the shocking details of the case. He disclosed that Oladele Femi, the landlord of Abah, confessed to orchestrating the kidnapping and aiding in concealing the murders, driven by motives that included robbery and, in some reports, personal grievances.
The investigation began after a petition dated 24 June 2025, submitted by G.O. Omoedu & Co., Legal Practitioners, on behalf of Emmanuel Peter, a resident of Shagari Village, Akure, and brother of Abah. The petition prompted swift action from the police’s anti-kidnapping unit, whose forensic tracking led to a breakthrough in Lagos. An iPhone 14 Pro Max belonging to one of the victims was traced to Abdul Mohammed Mubarak, 38, at Computer Village, Ikeja. Mubarak confessed to purchasing the phone from Ojo Michael, who was subsequently arrested in Aramoko-Ekiti, along with the victims’ Lexus RX 350 vehicle. Under interrogation, Ojo Michael admitted to participating in the crime and implicated Oladele Femi as the mastermind, alongside another suspect, known only as “Kola,” who remains at large.
Police reports indicate that the perpetrators withdrew N800,000 from Abah’s bank account during his captivity. Tragically, Okah was sexually assaulted before both students were killed, reportedly after she recognised one of the abductors, prompting the group to murder them to avoid exposure. Commissioner Lawal described the case as a “heartbreaking example of premeditated violence and betrayal,” assuring the public that the police are intensifying efforts to apprehend the remaining suspect and recover Abah’s remains.
The Adekunle Ajasin University community has been left reeling from the tragedy. Akeem Ologbon, President of the AAUA Students Union Government, expressed profound grief, stating, “This incident has caused deep sorrow across our campus. We acted swiftly, engaging the anti-kidnapping squad and other security agencies, but the outcome is devastating.” He urged students to remain calm and avoid spreading unverified information, promising that the union would work tirelessly to ensure justice.
The case has heightened concerns about campus safety and the vulnerability of students in off-campus accommodations. The Ondo State Police Command has vowed to leave no stone unturned in bringing all culprits to justice, with Commissioner Lawal appealing for public cooperation. The university and local authorities are now under pressure to address security lapses and provide support to students shaken by this horrific crime. As investigations continue, the AAUA community mourns the loss of two promising young scholars, whose lives were cut short in an act of unimaginable cruelty.