Kogi State Police Command has arrested four suspects in connection with the killing of Damilola Olowoyo, a 19-year-old 100-level student at the Federal University Lokoja, Kogi State.
The four suspects paraded are Jeremiah Paul, Emmanuel Otitoju, Banabas Olugbenga, and Ajayi Basit Ayomide.
Parading the suspects at the Police headquarters in Lokoja on Friday, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) SP William Aya, noted that the prime suspect, Jeremiah Paul, lured the deceased into the bush and killed her for a money ritual.
Narrating how the suspects were arrested, Aya said there was a complaint to the Commissioner of Police about the disappearance of Damilola Orowoyo, a 100-level student in the Department of Biological Science at the Federal University Lokoja.
“The Commissioner of Police swung into action and assigned the matter to the State intelligence department. The operative swung into action immediately and started working on the phone of the deceased since it could not be reached. With the help of the technical unit at the force headquarters, we were able to apprehend Jeremiah Paul in connection with the case.
“The suspect actually confessed to us that on 4th of September 2024, he met the deceased Damilola and lured her to the bush. At first, he pretended that he like her. When she accepted, he took her to an apartment. Before then, he gave the deceased a drink. Unknown to her, inside the drink, he have put some codeine.
“This worked in her system which made her weak for the suspect to carry out his heinous crime. He took the deceased to an uncompleted building before strangling her to death and dismembered her body. He removed her eyes, lungs, lever, tongue and fleshy part of her buttocks with the purpose of performing some rituals.
“Initially, he called the parent of the deceased that he has kidnapped the lady and demanded for ransom in which it was paid before killing the girl. He collected a ransom of N400,000 from the parents.
“Further investigation also revealed that, one of the suspects here was the first person that approached the girl, but because he couldn’t provide what is being demanded from him, he withdrew. The main suspects which is Jeremiah Paul decided to step in. He came with his friend from Kaduna State to commit this crime.
The prime suspect Jeremiah Paul aged 20 who hailed from Chikun Local Government of Kaduna State confessed to committing the crime.
In his confessional statement, Paul said “I came to Kogi State to hustle. I met Damilola last week Sunday and approached her which she accepted. We started chatting. I already had it in mind that I want to use Damilola for ritual. I bought codeine and Sprite and missed it up and gave it to her.
“I first drank it so that she won’t suspect it. When She drank it, I told her let us go to my house and she agreed. When she felt weak, I took her to an uncompleted building close to my place and strangled her to death. The cloth she was wearing, I used it to tie her leg, and neck. I later dragged her to a nearby bush and removed what the native doctor told me to remove.
“The native doctor who resides in Ibadan sent a driver and brought calabash and a knife. In the calabash, he used a black and white cotton to wrap the calabash and a red cloth to wrap the knife. It is the knife I used to remove part of her body, which is the eyes, tongue, lungs, intestine and some part of her buttocks.
“I put it inside the calabash and wrapped it. I now gave it to the driver who he sent from Ibadan to Lokoja. So, the driver waybill it back to Ibadan. After that, he now way bill my soap back to LoKoja. I met the native doctor on TikTok and I copied his number and later message him on Whatsapp. I went with my friend to Ibadan to see the native doctor”.
Paul alleged accomplice, Banabas Olugbenga, who was also paraded by the Kogi State Police command narrated his own side of the story “We were in Kaduna and we saw one Ifa on TikTok then we took his number and chatted him up so that he can do soap for us. When my friend gathered the money, we don’t have money to lodge when we came to Lokoja. So, we decided to stay with a friend before we travelled to Ibadan.
” When we traveled to Ibadan, we went and collect soap. My own soap is called soap for cleansing. Whenever I bath with my soap, am not allowed to come outside in the night, so that I won’t see any Woman or smoke. When I bath with the soap, I am hoping that I will get money within one week. I was not aware that Paul wanted killed Damilola”.
On his part, Emmanuel Otitoju aged 24 who is a 100 level student in the department of sociology, Federal University Lokoja denied his involvement in the crime.
According to him ” When I met the deceased, (Damilola) she told me that she had misunderstanding with her Boy friend which I told her to settle with him. The deceased told me she was 16 years and I responded that I can’t date her because of her age.
” I used to do hand work and am not a yahoo boy. Me and Jeremiah stays in the same compound and we are neighbors. I was not aware that he was planning to kill Damilola”.
Also speaking, another suspect Ajayi Basit Ayomide aged 19 who is a 300 level student in the department of micro biology from the Federal University Lokoja narrated how he met the other suspects.
“I was in a game shop when Banabas called me that he is in Lokoja right now and is planning to travel to Ibadan. He told me that he will stay in my place for a while before he continues his journey. He brought his friend called Jeremiah that they are both traveling to Ibadan. They both stayed at my place for a while and they later travelled to Ibadan.
“They came back together and told me of their plans to travel to Kaduna but they don’t have money. They begged me to stay in my place for sometime pending when they have money to travel. Since then, I was the one feeding them. I have no knowledge in the kidnap or killing of Damilola. Before we were arrested, Jeremiah and his friend told me that they cash out N400,000. They used the money to buy phones and food” he stated.
