Habibat Akinsanya, an 18-year-old who had been reported missing, was found dead on her father’s farm in Obasa, Mile 6, along Ajebo Road, in Ogun State’s capital city of Abeokuta.
On Monday, it was revealed that the woman, who had multiple machete wounds to her head and other parts of her body, had been found dead on Sunday with her hands bound behind her back.
According to reliable police sources, the victim was sexually assaulted before being murdered, as our correspondent was informed.
The severe killing may have been connected to a family revenge attack, according to a police source who asked to remain anonymous because they lacked the right to speak for the state command.
The source refused to elaborate further when our correspondent inquired if it was a cult-related reprisal.
Meanwhile, it was learnt exclusively from the Ogun State Police Command that the incident is being investigated as a premeditated murder.
The deceased’s father, Shamsuddeen, had previously reported his daughter missing to the Kemta Police Division on August 31, 2024.
After leaving her father’s home on August 30, 2024, Akinsanya is said to have been approached by Onyeka while helping her sister, who runs a point-of-sale company in the Kemta area.
According to reports, Onyeka, who the police have named as their main suspect in the murder and who was usually employed by the father, told the deceased that her mother needed her assistance at the farm to harvest cassava.
However, our correspondent discovered that when the deceased’s sister was unable to locate her at the store or at home, the family began to suspect foul play. This led the father to report the situation to the Kemta Police Division.
The cop said, “The father informed the police that Akinsanya had left the house to assist at her sister’s at her Point of Sale shop on Mile 6, Ajebo Road. However, when the sister arrived at the shop, Akinsanya was not there and did not return home.
“This case does not involve kidnapping, as none of the typical elements are present. While the exact motive behind the murder remains unclear, rumours suggest it was premeditated. The victim was not forcibly abducted but was lured by the perpetrator under the pretence that her mother needed her at the farm. Once there, the perpetrator restrained her, raped and then murdered her.
“The father reported receiving a phone call from someone demanding money. The number was tracked, and the police searched the last known location of the number in Oke Egunya, Totoro, for hours. This search yielded no results until a call was received indicating that the girl’s body had been discovered on her father’s farm.
Omolola Odutola, a spokesman for the command, told our correspondent on Monday that an inquiry had been launched to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the murder and that a manhunt had been launched to track down the evading suspect.
She said, “The police usually ask the complainant to wait 24 to 48 hours before filing a report in cases of missing persons, as some people return home within that timeframe. This is a standard procedure followed by law enforcement.
“A manhunt has been launched to aid in the apprehension of Onyeka, who is currently at large. Our officers have also initiated a discreet investigation into the matter.”
Published by Ejoh Caleb
