Following the death of Idowu Christianah, a young female student, who was kidnapped and murdered by Adeleye Ayomide, an undergraduate from Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), the hashtag #JusticeForChristianah has gained popularity on social media.
Idowu Christianah was reported missing on August 19, 2024, after her kidnappers contacted her parents using her WhatsApp account. They sent pictures of her in captivity via the “view once” feature and demanded ₦1.5 million in ransom.
After raising ₦350,000, Christianah’s parents deposited the money into a betting account per the kidnappers’ instructions.
After receiving the ransom, the abductors asked for a copy of the sender’s bank statement. Christianah’s family provided it on August 23, but communication from the kidnappers ceased shortly after.
During this time, some of the ransom funds were deposited into Christianah’s GTBank account and later withdrawn into a Wema Bank account associated with the primary suspect, Adeleye Ayomide, a 200-level student at OOU.
On August 26, investigators began tracking the linked bank accounts. By August 29, they discovered that Ayomide was the owner of the BVN linked to the betting account. Prior to the betting company freezing the account, Ayomide had already taken out ₦100,000 in withdrawals. Evidence also revealed Ayomide’s personal connection to Christianah through their Instagram interactions.
After tracing Ayomide’s cellphone to his family’s Ikorodu residence, the authorities dispatched soldiers from the 174 Battalion to apprehend him.
Incriminating evidence was found during a phone search, including Christianah’s phone, bank records that connected Ayomide to the crime, and email exchanges between him and the victim’s relatives.
Ayomide admitted to killing Christianah on September 3, 2024, and burying her at his family’s house.
According to additional reports, Ayomide may have been responsible for his biological sister’s death in 2020 and his ex-girlfriend’s death in 2018 under circumstances that are allegedly similar.
