Why I Killed Teenage Church Member: Suspect Confesses

A 23-year-old student of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) in Ogun State, Ayomide Adeleye, has confessed to the murder of 18-year-old Christiana Idowu, a member of his church. Adeleye, currently in custody of the Lagos State Police Command Tactical Unit, revealed that financial difficulties motivated him to commit the crime.

According to reports from Vanguard, Adeleye lured Idowu, an industrial training student at Yaba College of Technology, to his residence under the guise of repairing her phone. The tragic incident occurred around 5 PM on the day of the murder.

After killing Idowu, Adeleye allegedly buried her body in a shallow grave behind his home in the early hours of the following morning. He then attempted to extort N360,000 from the victim’s mother, falsely claiming that her daughter had been kidnapped. Initially demanding N3 million, he later settled for N350,000, which he directed to his SportyBet account.

The investigation led to Adeleye’s arrest when police traced the funds to his account linked to his National Identification Number (NIN).

In a statement, Adeleye expressed remorse for his actions, particularly due to the close relationship between their mothers. He revealed that he had contemplated suicide while in custody but was unable to follow through. “I killed her because I had financial problems. She came to our house and asked me to repair her phone. I squeezed her throat until she gave up. The first thing I said to her mother [during a phone call] was, ‘Hello, madam, we have your daughter.’ I don’t deserve any mercy for what I’ve done. I regret it deeply and ask God for forgiveness,” he stated.